S
Sean Camara
Guest
Elderly being coerced into drug trafficking by online scammers, police warn
It's a heart-wrenching story that we see all too often here at the Seniors Discount Club.
People who have spent their entire lives working hard, saving and being frugal, only to have it all taken away in an instant by ruthless criminals who target the elderly.
Sadly, this is happening more and more these days, as scammers become increasingly sophisticated in their methods. But there's one particular scam that's been making headlines recently, and it involves criminals coercing seniors into becoming drug mules.
According to reports, this scamming trend has been on the rise since borders reopened and international travel resumed. In June, three US nationals – two of them elderly – were found to be carrying 15kg of methamphetamine and 1.5kg of cocaine in the lining of their luggage after arriving at Sydney International Airport. They claimed they had been scammed out of $US500,000 ($800,000 AUD) online and were told they would be given more money if they transported a bag into Australia.
The AFP claims that some elderly foreign travellers were caught at the airport reportedly trying to smuggle drugs into Australia as a result of falling for online scams. Credit: AFP.
A month later, two German nationals aged in their 70s were also caught at Sydney Airport with 18kg of methamphetamine hidden in six suitcases.
They too claimed they had been scammed out of money online (in this instance, $10 million), and had been provided with the suitcases by someone from the UK who instructed them to fly to Zimbabwe before continuing to Australia. According to reports, both victims said they felt coerced into trafficking drugs after falling victim to online scams.
Just a few days ago, a Korean citizen was apprehended at Brisbane International Airport with 2.5 kilograms of cocaine in his baggage.
He allegedly said he was pressured into smuggling the drugs into the country by individuals who had cheated him out of his money and told him that he needed to transport a bag with them if he wanted to get his own money back.
Since October last year, a total of 18 alleged drug mules have been arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) upon their arrival in the country.
The AFP noted that some of the participants had disclosed to the police that they had been 'coerced' into the role after being swindled by somebody they met online.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander Kate Ferry stated that criminal syndicates exploited the vulnerable and manipulated people into committing illegal activities just to get their money back.
She said: 'Criminal syndicates, by their very nature, exploit vulnerable communities and will undertake whatever tactics necessary to import drugs into our country.'
'The victims of scams are already facing significant financial hardship along with any additional emotional trauma as a result of the online scam.'
Many of us know what it's like to get an unsolicited message online. You may get a sense that something isn’t quite right, but then you imagine what could happen if you didn’t reply.
We encourage keeping a safe distance from anybody who reaches out to you online, especially since some of these messages are cleverly crafted to gain your trust (perhaps by impersonating a loved one) that could persuade you to cooperate. We like to think we have a safe community here but it is always better to be on the safe side if something doesn’t add up.
In the end, you might end up as another scam victim or fall victim to an even more malicious scam.
Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it is. So, if you ever get a message asking you to send money to someone or to give them personal information, delete the message right away. Don't reply, and most importantly, don't give them your money.
Stay safe out there, members! If you have received any messages from scammers, please report them immediately to the Federal ScamWatch www.scamwatch.gov.au.
For more information on the most recent scamming schemes and to protect yourself from them, we also encourage you to visit the Scam Watch page of the SDC website.
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