Warning: The ‘heartless scam’ targeting our elderly

Police have urged Queenslanders to stay on the alert for this bizarre new scam. This is what you need to know.

Police have urged Queenslanders to stay on the alert for a “heartless scam” particularly targeting the elderly.

Fraudsters claiming to be from the victim’s bank call them ask them to withdraw cash, telling them that a representative from the bank will then collect the money from their home address.

Victims are generally told it is “to safeguard them” from an employee who is emptying customer accounts internally.

They promise that the bank representative will deposit the cash in a safe account while internal investigations identify the thieving employee.

Police confirmed several people across South East Queensland have already fallen victim to the scam.

In June, during one of the attempted scams, a victim reported it to police and said their bank had told them to withdraw $10,000 cash.

Police, that afternoon, intercepted and were able to arrest a 43-year-old Ngunnawal (ACT) man at the victim’s house.

He was charged with three counts of money laundering and one count possess tainted property.

He was remanded in custody to reappear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on September 15.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

How do you know if a call is a phone scam?

If you receive a phone call purportedly from a bank asking to pay funds or deposit cash contact your bank directly using a known phone number to verify legitimacy before following any instructions.

What do you do if you think you’ve been scammed?

If you are cold called or emailed by someone claiming to be from a bank never provide personal, bank account or credit card details and do not open any links.