How a stolen phone can lead to a $12,500 nightmare: ‘These things do hurt’

In the picturesque town of Broome, a small business owner's reliance on modern technology became a financial disaster.

Tony Moore, a 64-year-old caterer, found himself $12,500 poorer after thieves made off with his mobile phone and subsequently drained his bank account.



Tony was busy providing a charity breakfast aimed at helping the homeless when his lifeline to his business—a mobile phone—was snatched.

The device, which was not secured with a passcode, became an open treasure chest for the thieves.


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Tony Moore’s mobile phone, his lifeline to his business, was stolen. Credit: Shutterstock


It was more than just a phone to Tony; it was the command centre for his takeaway-food business, controlling everything from online orders to security cameras.

‘It controls my online ordering system, it's got my security cameras for the shop,’ Tony said.

‘I use my phone almost like a computer. I send emails, receive emails, do banking, and control my online ordering and different portals to the taxation department.’

‘It's more than a phone. It's running my business.’



Using the 'Find My iPhone' feature, Tony was able to pinpoint the location of his phone and reported it to the local police. However, when he felt the response wasn't swift enough, he took matters into his own hands.

His search led him to a wrecked car, where he found his phone amidst rubbish bins and debris. But the relief was short-lived.

Upon checking his online banking, he discovered unauthorised transactions and withdrawals totalling $12,500.

‘There's no guarantee that I'm going to get the money,’ he said.

‘I really needed a more proactive attempt by either the police or the banks that if we could get the accounts frozen, more action could have been taken immediately.’

The digital trail of theft led to a Bankwest account, where $10,000 was transferred, and a Commonwealth bank account, which received $2,000. An additional $500 was withdrawn from an ATM.



The broader context of this incident is alarming.

In 2022, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that Australians lost a staggering $3.1 billion to scams, with bank impersonation scams accounting for about $18 million in losses.

When Tony reached out to his bank, Westpac, for help, he was met with a cold response.

‘One of the questions was, “Did I have a pin number to actually open my phone?”’ he said.

‘They said, “Well, thank you, Mr Moore. You've broken the terms and conditions of banking with Westpac online.”’

‘“Because you haven't had a PIN number, we will not cover you for any fraud that's happened on your account.”’



Tony insisted that no banking details were saved on his phone, he didn’t know how the thieves got into his Westpac account.

‘I was totally unaware that you had to have a PIN number on your phone,’ he said.

‘I would have thought reasonable security would have been the password and account number that Westpac has in their apps.’

He has since rectified this oversight by setting a passcode while Westpac is investigating the matter.

In its statement, a Westpac spokesperson said, ‘We don’t comment on individual customer matters, but we are currently conducting a thorough investigation and will be assisting local police.’

A Western Australia Police spokesperson was also involved in the investigation, but they would not comment on the details of the case.



The theft of his phone was not an isolated incident for Tony.

He said he also loses money in stolen goods at his store every week, amounting to nearly $1,000 a month.

‘I probably lose $200 a week on average; drinks and ice-creams where people just come in, grab something and then run,’ he said.

‘I used to chase them, but it's just getting too dangerous. So we just let it go.’

‘If you want to multiply that out over 18 years, it's a lot of money and I'm not rich. I struggle. So these little things do hurt.’



With bank scams on the rise, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially after hearing horror stories of people falling prey to these situations.

In a previous story, a man fell victim to a scam that cost him his $50,000 savings due to a seemingly innocent text from what he believed was his bank. You can read more about the story here.
Key Takeaways

  • Broome business owner Tony Moore was the victim of theft and fraud when someone stole his phone and transferred $12,500 from his bank accounts without authorisation.
  • Tony’s phone, crucial for his small takeaway-food business, was taken during a charity event for the homeless. The theft left him without control over his online ordering system and security cameras.
  • Without a passcode set on his mobile, Tony was deemed ineligible for reimbursement by his bank, Westpac, because he had breached their terms and conditions.
  • Despite the personal loss and ongoing issue of theft in his store, Tony has now secured his phone with a passcode, and both Westpac and the WA Police are investigating the incident.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Share them with us in the comments below.
 
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I do feel sorry for this gentleman. He was out doing a good deed and some lowlife steals his wallet Unfortunately, the crime problem in Broome is quite bad, like many other places these days
I did not think however that anybody would not know that you need to have a pin number for your phone. I think the chances of the bank compensating him are pretty slim.
 
Again we see the lack of responsibility on behalf of the bank, i have never heard that it is necessary to have code for security from the bank, they are getting lower in my opinion, causing stress to the small guy, helping others. I was told by Westpak that my credit card would not be renewed because i paid the full amount each month, " we are here to make a profit " was the reply i was given, so changed my accounts, banking is a SERVICE industry Mr C E O"s
 
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Again we see the lack of responsibility on behalf of the bank, i have never heard that it is necessary to have code for security from the bank, they are getting lower in my opinion, causing stress to the small guy, helping others. I was told by Westpak that my credit card would not be renewed because i paid the full amount each month, " we are here to make a profit " was the reply i was given, so changed my accounts, banking is a SERVICE industry Mr C E O"s
That is ridiculous, they make a profit from the people who accept your card. All businesses are slugged a %fee when accepting card payments.
It is never enough as far as banks are concerned.
Good on you for taking the initiative and changing banks.
Pity so many people are too complacent to do this, the banks might just wake up to themselves if more people did this, instead of just whinging.
 
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Sad thing is even if you change banks you will still be facing the same problems with your new bank plus the hassle of updating everything with the new information.
 
Westpac is one of those dont give a shit major criminal banks about any of its customers... Change banks... move everything from the 4 major banks and go elsewhere
 
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Change to a member bank, such as Beyond Bank, you get much better service
We don't have this bank in our town, so why would I change to them. I would still be forced into doing everything online.
I want a branch to go into to do my banking.
 
We don't have this bank in our town, so why would I change to them. I would still be forced into doing everything online.
I want a branch to go into to do my banking.
Good luck with that, the way things are going we'll be lucky to end up with any branches.
I fought internet banking for a long time, but finally gave up and must admit it is quite easy.
Beyond Bank don't have many branches, but I have always been able to arrange anything I needed by phone, if I couldn't do it online.
 
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These days thieves and lowlifes will steal whatever they can get their hands on !!
It's a sad world when a man doing a good deed for others, loses so much money because of some thieving asshole. ☹️
 
Why do we have to say a 64yr old volunteer. It makes all older people sound irresponsible. I am always telling my Grandson not to leave his phone lying around and make sure he has a pin.
 
You would think being tech savvy you would have a pin. I feel sorry for this man. I hope things turn out well for him
 
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That happened to my son and he had a pin number,he was having a coffee and was checking his phone ,put it down for a second when someone went past the table and snatched it. They got into his bank account which luckily didn't have much in as he had transferred most to another phone. So if you leave your phone unatended for even a second set your pin
 
Just chuck your mobile phone in the deep blue sea and stick with a landline. You don't need to store personal stuff on your mobile phone, nor use it for internet banking, albeit it is convenient to do so. I had to go to my bank's local branch to sort out something and the middle-aged bloke dealing with it had a somewhat accusatory tone about my not doing internet banking via my non-existent mobile phone.
 
I feel sorry for the gentleman! I thought maybe he had bank availability on his mobile but it sounds like he didn't. I have internet banking but only on my desktop in the hope to stop my phone from being able to access my bank. It is a big worry.
 
It's quite simple, secure your mobile with a pin number or similar.
Never leave your phone anywhere or out of sight while it is still active. Anyone can pick up an active phone and use it for anything they wish to.
Go to settings and set a time limit which will turn the phone access of after a short period of inactivity.
After this a pin has to be entered to reactivate the phone by the user.
It's not that difficult.
 
I feel sorry for the gentleman! I thought maybe he had bank availability on his mobile but it sounds like he didn't. I have internet banking but only on my desktop in the hope to stop my phone from being able to access my bank. It is a big worry.
Yes I also do not have banking on my phone,I have it on my tablet amongst other apps and leave it at home. But I have a pin and two double pins for access on it just in case
 

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