We all know how easy it is to get caught up in social media and online advertisements, and the temptation of offers that seem too good to be true. However, getting involved in these schemes could cost you more than just your money—it could cost you your life savings.

Last week, Sunrise host David ‘Kochie’ Koch warned viewers about suspicious ads that feature his face, and pointed out that these may be scams.

Now, it’s with a heavy heart that we report about how a senior was scammed out of her life savings after falling victim to a fake advertisement.

It was a heart-wrenching experience for Dale Hambrook, 73, from Morley, Western Australia, who lost $150,000 of her savings after being lured in by a false advertisement for a cryptocurrency investment opportunity.

Recalling her ordeal, Mrs Hambrook said that she was contacted via email in June by an unknown sender who encouraged her to take part in a ‘crypto scheme’ that would supposedly help her to boost her finances.

A 73-year-old great-grandmother lost her life savings of $150,000 after falling victim to a scam that used Sunrise host David Koch's image. Credit: Instagram/David Koch.

With medical expenses piling up and her daughter unable to assist her due to her own circumstances, the great-grandmother thought this email came at the perfect time.

‘I got an email about Kochie about investing in Bitcoin, and he was doing very well with it . . . I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a few extra dollars so I could have some eye surgery to cover the out-of-pocket,’ she shared.

The email directed her to a link that purportedly ‘explained everything’ regarding her potential investment.

Mrs Hambrook said she signed up for the fake trading scheme after clicking on a link in the email article, which initially asked for a $250 fee.

However, the cost only grew from there. The 73-year-old recalled: 'There was $7500 and the next one was $10,000 and there were a couple of $15,000s and then it just did all that until I said, "I’ve got no more money".'

She didn't realise she was being scammed until it was too late, even though the fees kept going up, she blindly continued to pay them.

The great-grandmother didn't realise something was suspicious until she sought to get some of her money back.

Mrs Hambrook shared: 'As soon as I asked for money the contact stopped.'

The great-grandmother's family said that they have not yet requested a refund from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), and they are aware their chance of recovering the funds is slim.

Mrs Hambrook hopes to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy as she comes to terms with the possibility that she may never get her money back.

'Don’t be dumb like me, because once it’s gone it’s gone,' she said.

Meanwhile, Trish Blake, WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection, advised Australians to first consider if the website or people they are dealing with might be a fraud before inputting any personal information.

She recommended: 'If it is a scam then step away, do your research. Nothing bad is going to happen in those five seconds if you pause.'

It is also strongly advised that we do our research before engaging in any transactions to avoid falling for these scams. That could be something as simple as Googling the company name and seeing if any reviews come up, or checking out the ACCC’s ScamWatch to see if there is anything online about the company you suspect may be a scam.

Key Takeaways

• A Western Australian great-grandmother was scammed out of $150,000 of her life savings by a fake email claiming Sunrise’s David ‘Kochie’ Koch was an investor in a crypto scheme.
• The 73-year-old was tricked after receiving an email from an unknown sender that encouraged her to click a link in the article.
• WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake advises Australians to ask one question before entering their details: 'Could this be a scam?'
• The great-grandmother wants to stop others going through the same tragedy.

So, there you have it, folks! We recommend checking the SDC Scam Watch page regularly for updates on the latest scams and schemes to protect yourselves from being scammed. We also recommend checking out our free Cyber Safety eBook so you can be more familiar with the basics of these scams.

Stay safe out there!

 

[mark godwin]

We all know how easy it is to get caught up in social media and online advertisements, and the temptation of offers that seem too good to be true. However, getting involved in these schemes could cost you more than just your money—it could cost you your life savings.

Last week, Sunrise host David ‘Kochie’ Koch warned viewers about suspicious ads that feature his face, and pointed out that these may be scams.

Now, it’s with a heavy heart that we report about how a senior was scammed out of her life savings after falling victim to a fake advertisement.

It was a heart-wrenching experience for Dale Hambrook, 73, from Morley, Western Australia, who lost $150,000 of her savings after being lured in by a false advertisement for a cryptocurrency investment opportunity.

Recalling her ordeal, Mrs Hambrook said that she was contacted via email in June by an unknown sender who encouraged her to take part in a ‘crypto scheme’ that would supposedly help her to boost her finances.

View attachment 11739

A 73-year-old great-grandmother lost her life savings of $150,000 after falling victim to a scam that used Sunrise host David Koch's image. Credit: Instagram/David Koch.

With medical expenses piling up and her daughter unable to assist her due to her own circumstances, the great-grandmother thought this email came at the perfect time.

‘I got an email about Kochie about investing in Bitcoin, and he was doing very well with it . . . I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a few extra dollars so I could have some eye surgery to cover the out-of-pocket,’ she shared.

The email directed her to a link that purportedly ‘explained everything’ regarding her potential investment.

Mrs Hambrook said she signed up for the fake trading scheme after clicking on a link in the email article, which initially asked for a $250 fee.

However, the cost only grew from there. The 73-year-old recalled: 'There was $7500 and the next one was $10,000 and there were a couple of $15,000s and then it just did all that until I said, "I’ve got no more money".'

She didn't realise she was being scammed until it was too late, even though the fees kept going up, she blindly continued to pay them.

The great-grandmother didn't realise something was suspicious until she sought to get some of her money back.

Mrs Hambrook shared: 'As soon as I asked for money the contact stopped.'

The great-grandmother's family said that they have not yet requested a refund from Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), and they are aware their chance of recovering the funds is slim.

Mrs Hambrook hopes to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy as she comes to terms with the possibility that she may never get her money back.

'Don’t be dumb like me, because once it’s gone it’s gone,' she said.

Meanwhile, Trish Blake, WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection, advised Australians to first consider if the website or people they are dealing with might be a fraud before inputting any personal information.

She recommended: 'If it is a scam then step away, do your research. Nothing bad is going to happen in those five seconds if you pause.'

It is also strongly advised that we do our research before engaging in any transactions to avoid falling for these scams. That could be something as simple as Googling the company name and seeing if any reviews come up, or checking out the ACCC’s ScamWatch to see if there is anything online about the company you suspect may be a scam.

Key Takeaways

• A Western Australian great-grandmother was scammed out of $150,000 of her life savings by a fake email claiming Sunrise’s David ‘Kochie’ Koch was an investor in a crypto scheme.
• The 73-year-old was tricked after receiving an email from an unknown sender that encouraged her to click a link in the article.
• WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake advises Australians to ask one question before entering their details: 'Could this be a scam?'
• The great-grandmother wants to stop others going through the same tragedy.

So, there you have it, folks! We recommend checking the SDC Scam Watch page regularly for updates on the latest scams and schemes to protect yourselves from being scammed. We also recommend checking out our free Cyber Safety eBook so you can be more familiar with the basics of these scams.

Stay safe out there!

have a good virus scan

 

[Mr. Diesel.]

There are too many scams going on, including some on Facebook Marketplace.
How can a shed be sold for $29 when it costs $997 at Costco, how can an electric pensioners ride-on be sold for $59 when they really cost $1000++.
They all say PayPal but you can’t use that as they want your Visa Card amd your secret #pin.

 

[OasisBEE]

That's a heartbreaking story. It's so unfortunate that scammers are using well-known personalities' faces to deceive people. It's important to be vigilant and do your research before investing in anything, especially when it comes to cryptocurrencies. I'm glad that Kochie warned viewers about these kinds of scams. Speaking of finance, I recently discovered a financial planner app that has helped me keep track of my expenses and budget better. It's important to be smart with our money and protect our savings. Let's continue to spread awareness about these scams and protect ourselves and our loved ones from falling victim to them.

 

[Mr. Diesel.]

Never TRUST emails from anybody you don’t know, even some people you do know.
Ask your bank about investments, they can help.

 

[Maurie7]

I wouldn't be interested in anything with his face on it whether it was genuine a scam or anything.

 

[Thecla]

I wouldn't be interested in anything with his face on it whether it was genuine a scam or anything.

My thoughts as well!!

 

[Maurie7]

Don't know how people would fall for anything with his face on it. Well known celebrity??? Well known d-head in my book.

 

[LucianaCarson]

This whole scam story is unbelievable. It's scary how these criminals can take advantage of people, especially with something like a fake investment using Kochie's image. Makes you wonder who to trust online these days!
It's easy to get swept up in the hype, especially with all these ads for get-rich-quick schemes like cryptocurrencies. I've seen a bunch of them online, even on seemingly legit websites. "Double your money in a week!" Yeah, right! Sounds too good to be true, because it always is.

Anyone else out there ever encounter these crypto scams? While I'm using a resource like crypto-casinos.com I'm absolutely calm, but still...