By Afraa Kori
The threat of scams is on the rise in Cardinia Shire catching unsuspecting victims off guard.
Pakenham’s Anne and Graham Pace were targeted by a sophisticated online scam after encountering a pop-up while using Facebook.
“I was just about to leave Facebook, and then all of a sudden, the screen froze, and all these windows opened up,” she said.
“Then on the screen came another Windows Microsoft message: Your laptop’s being tampered with, and you need to contact this number.”
The scammer, posing as a Microsoft representative, convinced them their computer was hacked and their bank accounts were compromised.
Over a three-hour phone call, he guided them to withdraw money from their bank and deposit it into a Bitcoin account at a newsagent in Pakenham.
A bystander overheard and quietly warned them of a scam, prompting them to seek help. At the Commonwealth Bank, staff confirmed they were being scammed, stopped further transactions, and helped them secure their accounts.
After receiving 12 persistent calls from the scammer at the bank, they immediately reported it to the police, who advised them to wipe their laptop and phone.
Despite the emotional stress, the couple were fortunate to lose only $200. They now want to warn others, especially elderly individuals, about the risks of such scams.
“Other elderly people need to know someone can hack into their account, freeze the screen, and scam them,” Anne said.
“I had an operation on my back on Tuesday and this has caused tension. But we were so lucky! We could have lost $10,000, just like that,” Graham said.
Anne said it’s challenging for elderly residents because it’s hard to identify warning signs when scammers come across as innocent or harmless.
“The scammer was very calm, smooth, and reassuring. ’Oh, it’s all okay, ma’am, we’ll take care of everything, just follow my steps.’ They try to make you feel comfortable and in control,” she said.
“There was no space for me to think. Every time I hesitated, they told me how close we were to fixing the problem, almost as if there was no time to waste. ’You’re almost done, just a little more, and it’ll be sorted.”
Meanwhile scams are not limited to the online world; many fraudulent activities are currently taking place in person, particularly in the hills.
Last week, a Gembrook resident reported that a member of their household was visited by a man claiming to have leftover road base and offering to fix the driveway.
“Examples of scams: A business owner agreed to a job for about $5,000, but returned to find “sloppy“ work and a “ridiculous“ invoice for $22,000,” he shared.
“The ‘road base scam’, also known as the ‘bitumen scam’ or ‘tarmac scam’, involves con artists offering cheap, unsolicited driveway resurfacing or paving services, often claiming to have leftover materials from a job, but delivering poor quality work or leaving the job unfinished after payment.”
They also engage in “tree scams,“ offering cheap tree removal services. All their work is of poor quality and after securing a deal, they may escalate the price, claiming the job requires more materials than originally anticipated.
Pakenham’s Murat Gulen said vulnerable groups, especially elderly residents, those with long dirt driveways, and people in the country, are often targeted.
