Ex-police officer falls victim to impersonation scam: Police advise what to watch out for!

In an age where we're constantly reminded to strengthen our passwords and keep our personal information secure, it's alarming to hear that even the most vigilant can fall prey to sophisticated scams.

Recently, an alarming new twist on bank fraud saw scammers exploiting vulnerabilities in security protocols to deceive victims.

As the methods used by fraudsters evolve, it becomes increasingly crucial for individuals to stay informed and vigilant against such deceptive schemes.


Danielle Maddock, an ex-police officer with a decade of experience, was caught off guard by such a scam.

Despite her law enforcement background and her awareness of common scam indicators, she found herself ensnared by a scammer posing as a representative from her bank.

The scammer's call came at a time when Maddock was preoccupied with her newborn and home renovations, illustrating how scammers exploit moments of distraction and stress to their advantage.


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A former police officer was deceived by a sophisticated bank impersonation scam despite her professional background. Credit: Shutterstock


The scammer's approach was disarmingly professional, using an Australian accent and possessing enough personal information, including the last four digits of Maddock's debit card, to appear legitimate.

The absence of telltale signs of a scam, such as a delay before speaking, further lowered Maddock's guard.

‘It sounded so normal,’ Ms Maddock recalled.


He informed her that multiple transactions were being made with her card in Melbourne and inquired if she had authorised them.

When she denied it, he said he would cancel the card and halt the transactions but requested additional personal information to verify her identity as Danielle Maddock.

He also mentioned she would receive a six-digit code on her mobile. After receiving the text, Ms Maddock provided the code to him.

‘Now that I say that, I should have picked that up,’ she lamented.

The man informed her that her new card would be issued within four to five business days, and then they concluded the call.


Only 10 minutes later, she received another call, which was genuinely from her bank.

‘[The woman] said, “Are you making transactions at the moment?”’ Ms Maddock narrated.

‘I said, “No, I'm not. I just had a guy call about the fraudulent transactions, and he's cancelled my card.”’

‘The woman said, “No, that card is very much active. That was actually the scammer,”’ she continued.

The woman assured her that the card would be properly cancelled and recommended that she visit a bank branch as soon as possible.

Thankfully, the bank's prompt intervention prevented the fraudulent transactions from being processed.

‘[I feel] pretty dumb,’ Ms Maddock shared.

‘I'm an ex-cop so I thought I'd be pretty savvy on that stuff.’

‘But it makes me really worried for elderly and vulnerable people—they will fall for that,’ she added.


Jason Veltruski, the Fraud Operations Manager at NGM Group, is credited with the bank's swift response.

Mr Veltruski explained that these scams often involve sharing bits of information about the customer to establish trust, combined with a sense of urgency that discourages them from questioning the scammer.

‘Taking the fraud angle, it makes the customer stand up and listen,’ he said.

‘They think, “OK, I don't want to be a victim of fraud, so I'm going to do whatever you tell me.”’


Detective Superintendent Matt Craft of the NSW Police Cyber Crime Squad pointed out that crucial information plays a significant role in these scams.

Scammers provide just enough information to build trust while gaining access to more sensitive details, such as two-factor authentication codes.

He noted that one of the most frequent methods for scammers to acquire personal information is through data breaches.

‘We're constantly looking on the dark web for lists of personal identification information,’ Superintendent Craft stated.

‘It is sold. It is traded. It's traded as a commodity for cyber criminals.’

‘It's a form of currency for those cyber criminals because they understand the value,’ he added.


Superintendent Craft mentioned several methods for safeguarding yourself.

‘Be wary of unsolicited phone calls from people that you don't know and that you can't identify,’ he advised.

According to him, when you receive calls like this, hang up immediately.

He also cautioned against sharing confidential information with anyone over the phone.

‘Always remember that [most] legitimate businesses will not call you requesting personal information,’ he reminded.


While phone scams exploiting two-factor authentication codes continue to pose a significant risk, another alarming scam highlights the dangers of seemingly innocuous messages.

As we’ve seen with recent fraud cases, scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics.

In one instance, a man almost lost $3 million due to a single fraudulent text message.

Understanding these threats and knowing how to protect yourself is crucial in today’s digital landscape.
Key Takeaways
  • A former police officer was caught off guard by a sophisticated bank impersonation scam even with her professional background.
  • The scammer had enough personal information to gain her trust and obtain a two-factor authentication code necessary for making fraudulent transactions.
  • The NSW Police Cyber Crime Squad highlighted the importance of being cautious with unsolicited phone calls and guarding personal information, especially with the prevalence of data breaches.
  • To prevent falling victim to such scams, people were advised to hang up on unknown callers asking for personal details and never share confidential information over the phone.
Have you or someone you know been a victim of such schemes? How can you further safeguard yourself from them? Share your experiences and tips with the community in the comments below.
 
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I don't have any banking Apps on my phone. I have 2 different bank accounts through 2 different banks and I go through the bank website for 1 the other I have to physically go into the bank to check how much money I have or to withdraw
what happens when your bank closes, as they are all doing?
 
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Since this method of banking is encouraged and provided by the Banking Industry, with even businesses refusing cash more and more common these days, any fraudulent activity should be on them, since it's quite clearly not secure full stop.
Couldn’t agree more. They have helped omake things easier for the scammers by forcing us to do business this way, so definitely make them liable for any loss we incur
 
Scam the scammer, They always create a sense of urgency.
Option 1. If you get such a call, say out loud as if talking to someone else, "Hey can you log into the bank account and see if if there any unusual transactions and check the card is locked" if you have a scammer they will end the call immediately, or get very defensive. Bingo you just scammed the scammer.
Option 2. Say I'll call you back immediately. They will get defensive and try to get you to deal with it now creating a sense of urgency.
Option 3. Say, "Good luck with that, there is no money in the account and the card is locked, You f***** up.

Hang up and check you bank accounts.
 
A way of deterring these nasty scammers is to ask them to spell their full name and give you their phone number after they introduce themselves and tell you what they are calling about. Please write it down and then advise them that you are dealing with an issue at present and will have to call them back. If they become insistent upon dealing with the supposed issue then hang up immediately. After that, do not ring the number but call your financial institution and advise them of the information you have, They will tell you what you need to do if anything. You stand a better chance of getting these creatures wiped out by doing this.
On another note, I saw someone say that they receive text messages when transactions take place in your account. This is a very good idea and is actually available through most financial institutions. You will mostly have to call your bank to have this method activated in your account.
I have a Commonwealth Bank facility whereby I am notified of any external transactions on my bank accounts. Each time I use my card or there are transfers, my phone pings and a notification comes up on my phone. This is for both ith credit and transaction accounts.
 
I hardly answer some calls they are so repetative if I see that number on my phone I ignore it. Also if no message is left it usually means it's a scammer trying again. If it comes up with overseas I ignore that too as I have no one overseas
 
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We also have a credit card with Westpac & every time it’s used we receive a text informing us of the transaction & the last 4 numbers of the card used. It’s almost immediate & I wish our other bank used this method as well. It all gets rather exhausting doesn’t it, constantly having to check everything? Scammers should be put out of their miserable existence.
 
I would never do any banking transactions on my phone as I believe it is too easy for scammers to pick up your details and carry out a scam. I do internet banking on my home computer in which my bank has a code number for me and each transaction has another code number sent to me by phone before it can occur. I believe it is a safer way to pay for things on line. Also I never trade with a company I don't know is genuine and have used many times before. I never trade with companies who solicit me to buy on line even if they give me the name of their company as being one I have traded with previously as I don't know any company who would do this legitimately.
Totally agree. I have been suspicious of doing financial transactions on my phone. I only use for text messages mostly. Not a phone person at all. Feel much more secure using my home computer and like to have a big screen as well.
 
I have a Commonwealth Bank facility whereby I am notified of any external transactions on my bank accounts. Each time I use my card or there are transfers, my phone pings and a notification comes up on my phone. This is for both ith credit and transaction accounts.
Does that mean that the Ping family have already taken off with your money?
 
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I once had a phone call from someone supposedly in the government suggesting that I had money owed to me. I said I was busy and asked for their name and telephone number stating that I would call back later when I had more time. They gave me a name and number. I then contacted my daughter in Canberra, who works for the Federal Government and asked her to check the phone number to see if really was the government. When she rang back she told me it had been a government number but was no longer in use. I left it at that and did not call the number back and they did not call me again.
 
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I received a call, supposedly from AO. I had friends here so I put my phone on speaker and put it on my table and left it. Eventually I hung up. One of my friends looked the number up and discovered the call came from Italy.
 

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