‘Scared’: Sinister way 95yo targeted

It’s a picturesque coastal town where a terrifying incident has been hidden and police are yet to catch the person involved.

A 95-year-old Australian woman has been targeted in a terrifying scam where the fraudster showed up to her house to steal her card after convincing her there were issues with her bank.

The grandmother, who lives on the NSW south coast in Gerringong, received a phone call from a local number in September from a person with an Australian accent.

Her niece, Amy*, said she is disgusted at how the elderly woman was targeted and deceived.

“She got a phone call from a local number as she doesn’t answer 03 or 08 numbers. They said the bank had just been robbed and they needed to issue her a new card in a few hours,” she told news.com.au.

“They talked to her for an hour and a half. She wanted to go into detail about who robbed the bank and how did it happen.

“They told her she needed to put her card in her mailbox and they would pick it up and bring back a new card that night.”

The small township of Gerringong has seen an elderly resident targeted in a terrifying scam. Picture: Supplied

Chillingly, at dusk a car pulled into her driveway and collected the bank card from her mailbox, although the 95-year-old could not see the person, Amy said.

Then her bank account was drained of $16,000 with money spent at various stores including JB Hi-Fi and cash withdrawn from the ATM.

But Amy is also furious at Bendigo Bank’s response to the sinister scam as the fraudster stole her aunt’s money.

“She felt so bad she cried for three weeks – she was absolutely devastated,” she said.

“They have a picture of the guy at the ATM at a bank in Shoalhaven. But $16,000 in three hours is very unusual spending — you’d think the bank would have some sort of alert.”

Amy said her aunt essentially never spends more than $100 at the supermarket IGA, so any large transactions should have been a red flag.

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Bendigo Bank has been criticised for its handling of the matter. Picture: Supplied

She concedes her aunt did the wrong thing by also handing out her pin to the fraudster but she is elderly and genuinely believed she was speaking to someone from Bendigo Bank’s fraud department called Australian Security.

“She gave them everything, she told them how much money was in it, what the account was as she believed it was the bank and was talking to the manager,” she noted.

“It’s terrible, it’s like these scammers have guns to people’s heads. They have really got their game down pat.”

By the time her card was cancelled, there was just $133 left in the account. Amy said the family had to lend her money until her war veteran pension came through.

The thief used her card at JB Hi-Fi and also took out cash from an ATM where a camera captured him. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

In another terrifying move, the scammers continue to target the 95-year-old.

Her neighbour intercepted a call where a scammer was asking access to another bank account, Amy said.

“She is more scared of the phone. She doesn’t know who will be ringing. She picked up a call recently and this guy called and I took the phone and said ‘don’t scam this place anymore, the police have surveillance’,” she said.

“It’s a terrible thing we are going through in this wealthy country. It was local, it wasn’t even overseas. It was a local person that could just drive to the house. She even told them to park on the driveway as cars go around the corner really fast.”

Gerringong is a sleep coastal town but one fraudster went on a spending spree with a bank card stolen from a pensioner. Picture: Alamy

She added the scammer went on a spending spree.

“They spent at Nowra and online and they had gone to an actual ATM but the camera is hidden and so they thought weren’t getting photographed,” she added.

In a letter to the pensioner, Bendigo Bank said it would not refund the $16,000 that was stolen declaring she had provided her card and other personal details to an unknown third party.

Bendigo Bank said her card and pin were used to make the transactions and there were no incorrect pin attempts.

But Amy has labelled the bank’s response as “pathetic”.

“They could have just listened and said sorry rather than rebutting,” she said.

“I just think the banks should refund the money as they make so many billions a year.”

The letter sent from Bendigo Bank. Picture: Supplied

Amy was also concerned more elderly women could fall victim to the sinister scam.

“They are just after money. At first my aunt said don’t tell anyone,” she added.

“If other women are in her situation, we are all looking after her but what about people who don’t have anyone?”

News.com.au requested the CCTV footage of the scammer but NSW police declined to release it.

“On Wednesday 4 September 2024, officers attached to Lake Illawarra Police District commenced inquiries after receiving a report of a fraud offence in Gerringong,” a NSW police spokesperson said.

“Officers were told a 95-year-old woman had been scammed of $15,000 earlier in the month.

“Following extensive inquiries, police are appealing for anyone with information about the incident to contact Lake Illawarra Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Bendigo Bank said it stopped $34.4 million in fraudulent transactions last financial year. Picture: Cameron Bates

A Bendigo Bank spokesperson said it does not comment on specific customers but that in the previous financial year the bank stopped $34.4 million in fraudulent transactions.

“Bendigo Bank attempts to recover funds lost to scams wherever possible and it goes without saying when the bank is at fault, we will reimburse customers for the loss of funds, but it is important customers take steps to protect themselves,” they said.

“Bendigo Bank will never ask a customer to leave a card out to be collected, request customer details; including PINs; or request customers transfer money, download software or login via a link sent through email or SMS.”

The spokesperson added that total losses from scams and fraud were down 34 per cent year on year and more than 400 phone and fax numbers had been added to a telco list to prevent scammers from impersonating our people.

Bendigo Bank has also introduced advanced security tool, NameCheck, which is now being used to screen all payments made by customers whenever they enter the BSB and account number for a new payee, they noted.

*Name changed for privacy reasons

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