Scammer swindles $18,000 from war veteran: 'It was extremely convincing'

In an age where technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate, so are the methods employed by scammers to exploit unsuspecting victims.

A recent case involving a 71-year-old war veteran who lost $18,000 to an elaborate Netflix scam serves as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in our digital world.



Shane Arnold, a hardworking grandfather who dedicated over 50 years of his life earning his savings, was left devastated when he fell prey to a scam that was allegedly orchestrated by a 19-year-old, Kahlid Mahamud, from the Melbourne suburb of Braybrook.

The scam began with a seemingly innocuous email, purportedly from Netflix, informing Arnold that he was entitled to a refund.


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War veteran Shane Arnold fell victim to a scam and lost $18,000 dollars. Image source: Freepik.


Trusting the email's authenticity, Arnold entered his personal banking details, unknowingly setting the stage for the scam to unfold.

The following day, Arnold received a call from a man claiming to be a security officer from Commonwealth Bank.



The caller was allegedly Mahamud, who used AI technology to disguise his voice.

'(It was) extremely convincing,' Arnold said.

'He spoke in a posh English accent.'

Arnold was told his account had been compromised and was instructed to put his bank cards in a bag for collection by a driver.



In the hours that followed, the alleged scammer withdrew thousands of dollars from ATMs in North Melbourne, Braybrook, and West Footscray.

He also purchased dozens of gift cards from Kmart, filled up at Ampol, bought a strawberry milk drink and Magnum ice cream, and even purchased a new iPhone.

While Mahamud has been charged over the incident, Arnold is left grappling with the loss of his hard-earned savings.

'I've worked for 50-odd years to get that money,' he said, adding he felt like his 'heart had been ripped out'.



Arnold believes that the Commonwealth Bank is partly to blame for his loss and has lodged a report with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

He claimed the bank has only offered to reimburse him $1,000—a mere fraction of his loss—adding that all those who have been scammed deserved to get their money back.

'None of them deserved to be scammed, and none of them did anything wrong,' Arnold reiterated.

The Commonwealth Bank has stated that Arnold's case is being managed by AFCA.
Key Takeaways
  • A 71-year-old war veteran, Shane Arnold, lost $18,000 in an elaborate Netflix scam orchestrated by a teenager.
  • The scam involved a fake Netflix email and a follow-up call from the alleged scammer posing as a Commonwealth Bank security officer, using AI to disguise his voice.
  • The accused scammer, 19-year-old Kahlid Mahamud, was arrested and charged after withdrawing the money and making purchases with Arnold's funds.
  • Arnold feels the bank is partly to blame and is fighting to get his money back, having lodged a report with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), while the Commonwealth Bank has offered a partial reimbursement of $1,000.
Have you or someone you know been targeted by a scam? Share your experiences and tips for staying safe in the comments below.
 
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I am afraid Shane Arnold is the only one responsible for giving his money away. The bank should not be making any refund. EVERYBODY has to be aware there are scammers out there, check everything. This could easily be avoided with a bit of commonsense, which doesn't seem to be common anymore.
 
Yes not as badly as poor Arnold has. When next they rang I took the call to my local Police Station and even they had to yell at them again and again before they rang off.
 
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Reactions: Marj53
I really feel for people who have been scammed, particularly when they have not provided any information or "assisted" the scammers. Where there may have been an issue with bank security the people should be reimbursed.
Where a person has given their information or enabled the scammers they are not really entitled to bank refund. I am sorry for these people however there is a lot of information to stop scammers. Sadly you can't trust others now.
 
My bank has been sending me mail trying to get me to apply for a credit card for ages... I only ask one question...'Does the bank provide me with 100% security from hackers, scammers etc. when I use the card...
the answer is 'NO WE CAN'T'... so I inform them that they have answered my question for me....however, the banks,businesses etc. are forcing people down this electronic pathway and the fraudsters are having a field-day. Still don't have a credit/debit card, pay cash, don't support businesses who don't accept it.... I know there is a certain proportion of the population who are techno-savy and want to be modern and part of the 'in crowd', and now we have a dramatic increase in 'credit card debt' and getting worse...lesson here folks...
 
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Reactions: Kerry9722
Yes I know someone who has fallen to these types of scams a couple of times, he is in his 80's and unfortunately always believes in the best of people. 😵‍💫
There are people out there who just prey on the elderly, and sometimes they hit their mark spot on. Best you can do is lock your letterbox, and have an unlisted number, so when these morons try to access your information these are two hurdles you already have in place. If you do have email remove your details from your signature block; and use BCC to everyone, don't share your friends details around for these scammers to get either. And never ever give any details out over the internet to an unknown, best thing to do is place those sort of emails straight into spam. If they are true the company will get in touch with you in other ways. ;)
 
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Reactions: Justjoey
I am afraid Shane Arnold is the only one responsible for giving his money away. The bank should not be making any refund. EVERYBODY has to be aware there are scammers out there, check everything. This could easily be avoided with a bit of commonsense, which doesn't seem to be common anymore.
Just a few tips Scammers actually have illegal call centres run by trained staff to purposely steal money. Always hang-up straight away on unknown callers if there is a mobile number block it and report it and delete it. Always initiate ringing your own Companies and Internet Service Provider yourself. I did the last suggestion on my Company after someone told me they was ringing from there I simply hanged up rang the Company only to be told everything is in order on my Account and that they didn't ring me. Hang up up & ring Company and check ✔️
 
Why would anyone think the bank owes them when they have given people details how to access their account. We could set up nIce little earner where I get money out of anyone’s account and they get refunded by the bank. 🤣
 
Omg same thing with Netflix, so so sorry you really suffer from this scam I cannot believe I was so gullible I could hear kids in the back ground and asked him about it I still cannot believe I was so stupid and I know many many people feel like me, dear friends be careful can happen to all of us.
 
Sorry but your heading is way off beam. That was in no way a very convincing scam, in fact quite the opposite. Every step of the way it was a dead giveaway. I feel very sorry for this gentleman but he had the clues over and over again.
 
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