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Grandparents from Brisbane SCAMMED by hackers, lose their $52,000 house deposit
Speaking to A Current Affair, a couple from Queensland recounted one of the most horrifying experiences of their lives.
Margaret Hailey and her husband, Pat, from Browns Plains, Brisbane, decided to sell their beloved family home after the two had a series of rough hospital operations following serious health issues.
They wanted to downsize, so the couple put the property up for sale and were planning to move somewhere smaller, enough for the both of them.
However, after the contract was signed, Mr and Mrs Hailey both noticed that a large chunk of money – more than $52,000 – was missing from the sale funds, which was supposed to be paid to them by their real estate agency Crafted Property.
Mrs Hailey immediately contacted their real estate agent, Philip Rsnikoff, to figure out where their funds had gone, to which he replied: “I have no idea.”
More than $52,000 was missing from the couple’s house deposit. Credit: A Current Affair.
However, Mrs Hailey insisted that it was not her husband who requested the unauthorised transfer. In fact, it was impossible for Mr Hailey to send the request in the first place.
“It came on Patrick’s phone, but he doesn't know how to email and he doesn't know how to text,” said Mrs Hailey, adding that the recipient account was not theirs – they don’t even have an ANZ bank account!
Browns Plains Police took the couple’s case and began their investigation, and they found out that it was most likely the work of cyber hackers.
Last year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre issued a public warning, advising people to be wary of “suspicious” emails, especially in real estate transactions.
“Cybercriminals are targeting all parties involved in the real estate sector, with a particular focus on impersonating conveyancing lawyers and communication with their clients,” the statement said.
They recommend calling the sender and verifying their identity before making transfers that involve large sums of money.
A hacker pretending to be Mr Hailey had sent an email to the real estate agent. Credit: A Current Affair.
Thankfully, the missing money – which amounted to a total of $52,757 – was returned to the couple after a gruelling six-month investigation.
“It's a big relief, a massive relief because for us it's all about the customer and the client and that's a big responsibility with their money,” said Mr Rsnikoff.
"Hopefully we can sort out and catch the people that actually frauded everything."
Even though the Queensland Police are still investigating to determine who is responsible for the hacking incident, Mr and Mrs Hailey have sworn to never use email again.
