Local man loses $12,000 in phone scam
A phone call was all it took for an elderly man to get sucked into the trap.
The Palmerston North man hopes sharing his plight can prevent other people from falling for the scam that conned him out of $12,000, when he took a phone call from someone claiming to work for telco provider Spark.
Ray, an ACC beneficiary who didn’t want to provide his full name, was called just before Christmas and told his bills were overdue, and that someone would lose their job if he didn’t cooperate. So he shared his account details and password.
He was fleeced of $10,000, before another $2000 worth of itunes gift cards were bought from his account.
By the time Ray realised he had been tricked, it was too late.
His money had been transferred to an Indian bank account.
The matter is being probed by police, but Ray said it would be a ‘‘miracle of all miracles’’ to see his money again.
‘‘There should have been bells ringing in the back of my head. I’m a few dollars poorer and a little bit wiser.’’
Grey Power Manawatu¯ president Lew Findlay said families needed to check on older people to ensure they’re aware of such scams.
‘‘If people lose money through scams, they usually won’t tell their families because they’re ashamed.’’ Scams, and how to avoid them, were a frequently discussed topic at Grey Power meetings, he said. Elderly people were easy targets, as many were lonely and eager to talk to callers, even people they didn’t know. Findlay said it was best for people to deal with phone companies, banks and similar organisations in person to reduce the risk of being scammed.