Online scammers targeted her vulnerability

An elderly woman’s three properties, superannuation and bank accounts are at risk from online scammers who she already gave $1 million after they exploited her psychiatric condition, a tribunal has heard.

An elderly woman’s three properties, superannuation and bank accounts are at risk from online scammers who she already gave $1 million after they exploited her psychiatric condition, a tribunal has heard.

The sad case came before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal as a guardianship matter.

Her children applied for the appointment of an administrator because the 78-year-old woman had lost $1,004,580 to multiple scammers, which substantially depleted the assets of her and her husband who is himself incapacitated by terminal illness and a cognitive impairment.

Online predators targeted the woman’s finances.

They argued her behaviour of compulsively giving money to scammers has been going on since at least 2018, the tribunal heard.

The woman claimed she was deceived by scammers believing that they were investing her funds for her.

Tribunal member Louise McDonald said the communications between the woman and the scammers revealed “occasions of pressure, persistent importunity, undue influence”.

In one message the scammer says: “Please baby today is the deadline unless I will be trow (sic) out my love.”

“You glow like the sun and illuminate my life the way the sun does to the moon. …. Please don’t forget to either get steam cards or google play my love.”

In another they write: “If we send $2000 tomorrow to the company we will be left with $11000 and we will be both free forever.”

Specialist psychiatric opinion identified that as a result of her psychiatric condition, the woman, though cognitively alert, was unable to control her behaviour, the tribunal heard.

In a report a psychiatrist stated that without control of her finances she was “likely to spend all her money and become destitute”.

Owing to her behavioural disorder the woman continued handing over money to the scammers despite knowing she had been scammed.

The tribunal heard she had lost about a third of her and her husband's assets to scammers.

“I find that the evidence indicates that (she) succumbs to undue pressure from scammers to part with her money, is unable to self-limit her behaviour to protect her assets,” Ms McDonald said.

“I am satisfied that (she) has impaired decision-making capacity for financial matters.”

Ms McDonald appointed the woman’s son as her administrator.