Tonga Harris appeals jail sentence for defrauding 10 elderly women in credit card scam
A court has heard the lengths a Central Coast man went to during a credit card scam which saw him steal more than $23,000 from 10 elderly women across the Hunter, Southern Highlands, Illawarra and Canberra.
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The scam started when an elderly woman’s purse would disappear while they were out shopping, busy in the garden or visiting a neighbour.
Hours later they would receive a call from a man saying he was a “bank representative”, telling them their purse had been handed into the local branch. The man told them he needed their PIN number to cancel the card.
Before the women knew it, thousands of dollars was missing from their accounts.
This is how Springfield’s Tonga Harris, a 46-year-old father of two, managed to steal more than $23,000 from 10 elderly residents between January 29 and April 26 2020 to fund his drug habit.
Harris, a former coast rugby player, appeared from jail via video link in Gosford District Court today appealing a five year jail sentence with a non parole period of three years. He was sentenced on August 7 in Gosford Local Court after pleading guilty to 19 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of possessing a prohibited drug.
During the appeal, Judge Tanya Bright heard there were 10 victims in Harris’s scam from East Maitland, Wallsend, Bowral, Bargo, Dapto, Eleebana, Gerringong, Mittagong and Thirlmere. The court heard in just three months, Harris managed to steal $23,546 from the victims aged 78-92.
Court facts stated Harris went to great lengths for one of his victims – an 81-year-old from Dapto – making a prerecorded security message that bank’s often play to customers.
The woman had been out in Dapto and Wollongong when she received a call from Harris saying he worked at the local credit union branch and her wallet had been handed in.
The lady soon realised her credit card was missing and gave the man her PIN number to cancel the card.
The court heard Harris played a prerecorded security message so the call sounded more authentic. Soon after the lady was told she had $1500 fraudulently withdrawn from her account.
Another victim – an 82-year-old from a retirement village in Eleebana – was outside gardening with her purse inside.
A few hours later she received a call from a “bank representative” saying her purse had been handed in. She realised it was missing and gave the man her PIN number, only to be told later that two withdrawals of $1000 were taken from her account.
One woman, 87, was sitting outside her home in Wallsend with a friend while another, also aged 87, was visiting a neighbour in Mittagong when their purses went missing.
Both women received a similar call from a “bank representative” and handed over their details.
In all instances, CCTV footage was obtained by police at ATMs which identified Harris withdrawing money.
Police from the Southern Highlands arrested Harris in Springfield, where he was living with his mother, in May 2020.
The court heard Harris, who had a criminal history involving robbery and break and enter offences, felt “terrible” and acknowledged the victims would now have trust issues and feel devastated and hurt. He indicated he ran the scam to fund his ice habit.
Judge Bright said the multiple offences against “extremely vulnerable victims” involved a lot of planning and upheld the five year sentence.
“The community expects that people that commit these offences against the elderly will be dealt with accordingly,” she said.
Harris will be eligible for parole on August 6 2023.