S
Sean Camara
Guest
A closer look at the new fraud scheme targeting elderly parents – here's how you can protect yourself
We previously reported on a new scam that specifically targets elderly parents whose children are either working adults or are far from home.
The scam involves con artists posing as their children and calling them for financial assistance to pay their bills.
Now, we'll look at this issue in closer detail as we share the story of John and Patricia, a couple who have been scammed out of thousands of dollars after falling victim to the scheme.
Patricia and her daughter had a normal conversation over a video call on Saturday morning, with the latter informing her mother about her new kitchen.
A short while later after the pair bid their farewells, Patricia claimed to have gotten a text message from a 'mystery number'.
The message claimed that the daughter lost access to her banking details after she dropped her phone in the toilet and that she was in dire need of funds to urgently pay an invoice for a new kitchen.
A snap of the conversation between Patricia and the scammer. Credit: ABC News.
Patricia said she had no idea that she was about to become the victim of a scam as the texts appear credible because they included private information about her daughter's stress and home repairs.
'It was almost as though someone had heard our conversation on WhatsApp because of the things she said after that,' the mother recalled.
The Perth couple initially sent through $12,899.99 to an account with a major bank branch after their 'daughter' promised to pay back the money when she recovers her banking details by 9 pm.
Patricia shared that when the money was sent, she received a text message featuring love hearts and thankful emojis from the same sender, which made her think that her daughter was just grateful for the fund transfer.
However, just two minutes after the initial payment, the scammer asked for more money.
The request prompted John to raise his daily payment limit to send more money, but fortunately, Westpac stopped the second payment of $10,278.99, informing the couple that they may have been victims of a scam and that the first payment may not be recoverable.
The couple's case is not unique, however, as the new scheme, dubbed as 'Hi Mum' scam, has defrauded more than 1,150 Australians, with incidences significantly increasing this winter.
In the first seven months of the year alone, Australians were reportedly duped of a total of $2.6 million. Experts predict that the number may be considerably higher due to unreported frauds.
Simon Smith, a cybercrime expert, claimed that dealing with scammers was becoming commonplace for Aussies.
'It's almost like it's a way of life at the moment, it's gotten worse actually,' he remarked.
The new ‘Hi Mum’ scam targets elderly people whose children are away from home. Credit: ABC News.
Mr Smith said that the use of SMS scams to entice potential victims was now simpler and less expensive than ever thanks to technology.
He added: 'Over the years the technology has gotten cheaper — certainly with SMS spamming — you can send SMS pretty cheaply, almost free online.'
'It's a numbers game for the scammers. They send out 100,000 SMS and if they get 0.001 per cent it's a payday for them.'
Scammers appeared to be targeting older Australian women, according to Delia Rickard, deputy head of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Ms Rickard explained: 'Over two-thirds of the family impersonations we've seen, the victims were women over 55.'
'They play on that familial relationship, and that's what families do, they help each other.'
While experts acknowledged that some con artists obtained information through identity theft or purchase, they also noted that less sophisticated techniques, such as accessing publicly available personal information online, were frequently used by crooks.
Mr Smith advised people to be extra cautious about the data they post publicly on social media.
'Everyone wants to say "look at my new couch" or "look at my baby running around with a brand new pair of sneakers",' he pointed out.
'People don't realise when they put their life on the internet that it's fair play for scammers as well.'
According to Ms Rickard, people can take precautions to verify the identity of the individuals they are conversing with.
Trick questions may be an effective way to expose con artists if a loved one cannot be reached by phone.
Ms Rickard suggested: 'Ask them 'how's the dog doing?' when you know they don't have a dog.'
Trick questions and enhanced awareness help avoid fraud in the future, but victims who have already been duped have significantly fewer options as the chances of recovering funds are low.
'It's not great. You can try with your bank but it's not great,' she added.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS
- Make sure you verify the identity of the person you're dealing with.
- Avoid clicking on questionable links in emails, pop-ups, or messages.
- Secure personal information, mobile devices, and computers.
- Pick your passwords wisely.
- Review the social media privacy settings.
- Be on the lookout for odd payment requests.
- Use a service you can trust while shopping online.
It's so important to keep ourselves informed about the latest scams, so we can protect ourselves and our families, especially now that scammers are becoming more creative with their tactics.
We recommend checking out the Scam Watch section of the SDC website to stay on top of these schemes. Stay safe out there, folks!
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