Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[elaine41]

How long will it take people to learn not to click on unknown msgs or give any information about their bank a//c? We have been told time & time again about how these scammers work & still we ignore the advice we are given. If you give out information then it is your responsibility. I'm sorry for this person who lost his savings but it is not the bank's responsibility to refund his losses. This money would have to be paid at the cost to other bank users as there is no deep well of money held to reimburse him.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Why are people still clicking on links?

Maybe centrelink or banks need to send physletters to all people to advise not to click on any links in email or messages or if you get a call then call back looking up the number yourself

 

[Glenlusk1943]

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Typical action from Commbank, who brag about the billions profit made but then do nothing to help customers scammed from their money. I, for one, shall be closing my account and heading to a Credit Union where they tend to care more about their customers than making billion dollar profits and overly high paid CEOs.

 

[BeeW]

In what universe should the bank be held accountable for someone "accidentally" (read: deliberately) breaching security features designed to protect their funds, by giving someone else their internet banking access details? Short of having customers pass an IQ test before allowing them internet access, not much else the CBA could do. Scammers are smart and very quick to transfer funds out of the receiving account, usually to offshore destinations where it cannot be recovered.
I feel sorry for this guy, I really do, and anyone else who gets caught up in any sort of scam. But this article reads as though it's somehow the bank's fault, and as someone who works in fraud risk and sees the stupid things that people do daily, I know it's rarely the bank at fault (disclaimer - I do NOT work for CBA).

 

[LynS]

I really don't think that the bank is to blame for people's stupidity. There are so many warnings out there about not clicking on links and scam phone calls that everyone should be alert to them. No sympathy for stupidity.

 

[BruceC]

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

How is it the Banks fault that Barry gave the scammers access to his accounts?
I feel sympathy for the fact that Barry is unwell but not one bit of sympathy for his decision to grant access to his accounts!
Why didn’t Barry contact Amazon direct then this would not have happened!
The Banks is not responsible for peoples decisions as to who the person gives access to their accounts!
Sadly Barry’s decision was his and his alone to grant an unknown person access to his bank account and he deserved to lose his money!
About time people started taking responsibility for their own actions.
These scams are reported daily and only succeed due to people’s stupidity!

 

[LynS]

How is it the Banks fault that Barry gave the scammers access to his accounts?
I feel sympathy for the fact that Barry is unwell but not one bit of sympathy for his decision to grant access to his accounts!
Why didn’t Barry contact Amazon direct then this would not have happened!
The Banks is not responsible for peoples deci as to who the person gives access to their accounts!
Sadly Barry’s decision was his and his alone to grant an unknown person access to his bank account and he deserved to lose his money!
About time people started taking responsibility for their own actions.
These scams are reported daily and only succeed due to people’s stupidity!

Yes, could not agree more. Take some responsibility for your own actions.

 

[Juicy]

I received that same email about the Amazon Prime but I thought it was strange since I knew I was paid up to next year. I contacted Amazon through my app and was put through to Amazon USA and they confirmed that I was paid up and that this was a scam just delete which was after they took down the information. I always contact the companies when I am not sure what is happening. This is through the numbers etc that I have. Have felt happier because I have had a couple of scams sent to me and yes I do get nervous. The rule is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[kerrikennel]

As terrible as it is for people to be scammed, they cannot hold the banks responsible for losing their funds. People need to stop handing their information over to random callers, or clicking links on emails or messages, without verifying the information they're given by contacting the company directly first.

 

[IAN3005]

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

I'm surprised the Commonwealth Bank was not on top of this. I got a phone call at 11:30 advising me that there were a number of transactions going through my account. I asked the origin of the transactions and when I found they originated in Israel I said no not by me. Bank security was on top of it.

 

[Frigate]

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Root cause of the scam problem not with banks’ customers and not with banks. ACMA is absolutely toothless when it came to spoofing local phone num

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

root cause of the problem is spoofing of the local Australian numbers by overseas callers. ACMA is doing nothing to prevent this situation and eliminate scam phone calls ones and for all.

 

[Ian Crane-Luff]

A most unfortunate case, however, is that CBA has long been unethical, as many customers have discovered. The bank's claim that it will never lose a claim or complaint against it has carried over to the financial institutions where ex-CBA employees have moved to them.

 

[Bikkie mum]

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

My. Credit Bank now has 2 finger encryption so they have to have my finger print, plus password ,that’s not on display ,clear any transactions with your bank as soon as your finished on your computer ,IPads ,Phones it helps stop them

 

[BruceC]

I received that same email about the Amazon Prime but I thought it was strange since I knew I was paid up to next year. I contacted Amazon through my app and was put through to Amazon USA and they confirmed that I was paid up and that this was a scam just delete which was after they took down the information. I always contact the companies when I am not sure what is happening. This is through the numbers etc that I have. Have felt happier because I have had a couple of scams sent to me and yes I do get nervous. The rule is better to be safe than sorry.

My point exactly!
And if you get caught due to your own stupidity then stop blaming the banks etc and take responsibility for your own stupidity!
like you said, contact the so-called provider direct and never respond to these scams!

 

[Aussie all the Way]

I would like to know why people think that the Banks are responsible for YOUR STUPIDITY. NO ONE I REPEAT NO ONE from a legitimate business will ask for your PIN. Sorry for your loss BUT you have no one to blame but yourself.

 

[Trish21]

Many of us place our trust in banks, confidently depositing our hard-earned savings and believing in their robust security systems.

After all, who better to guard our finances than established financial institutions?

At 69, Barry Casey of Sydney held a deep-seated trust in the safety of his savings. However, this trust came at a steep price.

In May 2022, scammers impersonating Amazon Prime stripped him of $40,000.

As a cancer patient, Barry had set aside this money for upcoming medical treatments.

Now, with rising health expenses and a depleted safety net, he describes his situation as feeling like ‘this cloud over my head all the time’.

View attachment 30853

In 2022, Australians lost $141 million to scams, with a third of them happening over the phone. Image source: Pixabay

Barry held ‘blind faith’ in his bank, expecting it to safeguard against potential frauds.

But his trust was shattered when, after promptly reporting the fraudulent transactions a day after they occurred, the bank held him responsible.

Barry was vacationing in the Philippines when he received multiple messages regarding an Amazon Prime subscription and a deduction of $99.99 from his account.

He became unwell and went home, troubled by ‘wracking coughs’ that let him sleep for just short 20-minute bursts.

Feeling tired and unwell, he called the number that was given by scammers who said they were from Amazon's customer service support team.

‘It’s coming out of your Commonwealth Bank account,’ one of them told Barry, then said his bank account number.

‘There were alarm bells there, but I was very ill. I wasn’t quite thinking straight.’

Posing as Amazon's security team, the scammer told Barry they were working to ‘track down’ the person using his bank information and needed his personal details to help.

‘Look, this is happening a lot, and here at Amazon, we need to protect our brand,’ the scammer said.

When 7NEWS.com.au reached out to Amazon regarding the incident, a representative stated, ‘Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put our customers and our brand at risk.’

Despite Barry’s reservations, the scammer’s tactics induced fear and compliance in him.

‘The scare tactics worked,’ he admitted, after being constantly convinced about the pressing need to catch the alleged scammer in Sacramento, California.

View attachment 30852

Commonwealth Bank's recent research reveals that over 80% of Australians are increasingly scam-aware, with a quarter expressing high confidence in their ability to detect and avoid scams. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

‘All the while, in the back of my mind, I’m trusting the bank. Thinking they won’t allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank—unfounded, as it turned out.’

Unknowingly, Barry granted them access to his devices and bank. They instructed him not to check his bank until their ‘investigation’ was done.

When asked to enter a NetBank code that popped up on his phone, he complied.

After accidentally breaching Commonwealth Bank's final security by sharing the code, Barry later awoke in a panic. ‘I just had this moment where the fog cleared, and I thought, “No, this is not right”.’

He then found that three transactions, amounting to $40,000, had been made from his account.

Understanding remote access scams
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that Australians lost $7.2 million to remote access scams within six months up to July 2021, with 801 reports relating to impersonations of Amazon causing losses above $1.2 million between 2020 and 2021.

‘Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations,’ ACCC said.

View attachment 30854

These are not legitimate Commonwealth Bank communications. Do not click the link or reply to the sender. Image source: Commonwealth Bank

Barry’s relationship with Commonwealth Bank
Barry, a client since his school days, maintained unwavering loyalty to Commonwealth Bank.

‘I’ve been a customer of Commonwealth Bank since 1969, since I was five years old,’ he said.

‘The two home loans I got, I got through the Commonwealth Bank. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done through the Commonwealth Bank.’

Deeply loyal to his bank, Barry believed with unwavering trust that they would shield him from scams.

Without delay, he hurried to the Rockdale branch to report the incident as soon as its doors opened and filed a police report soon after.

‘It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, “It’s your fault”.’

The response he received from the bank left him blaming himself.

‘I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, “You deserved this because you were so stupid”.’

‘The scam, the illness, and the faith I had in the bank all conspired so that I was not quite with it. I blame myself.’

‘It was like an out-of-body experience because I’m usually not like that, I’m usually pretty cynical about everything.’

Switching back to conventional banking methods, Barry is not alone in his mistrust of electronic banking.

As Aaron Bugal, a spokesperson for cybersecurity company Sophos, shared with 7NEWS.com.au: ‘My mum still goes into the bank branch to do all her banking because she just doesn’t trust the online presence, or herself online.’

‘Her best friend got fleeced out of $90,000—she was lucky; she got that back after about six-and-a-half months of waiting. That was a terrible time for her, and she’s in her 90s.’

Expert opinions and suggestions
A spokesperson from the Commonwealth Bank stressed the importance of staying alert and cautious in the face of scams.

‘CBA acknowledges the impact scams are having on customers and the community broadly.’

‘We encourage customers to remain cautious and to stop, check and reject. Be wary of clicking on links, particularly where the message is from an unfamiliar sender or allowing a third party to access your devices remotely.’

‘Customers should never disclose confidential banking information, including login details, passwords or one-time codes to anyone.’

Bugal agreed that the bank already takes measures to protect customers’ funds but said that more can be done.

‘There’s a lot that the bank has done without being too intrusive to the normal process of business. It’s a bit of a delicate balance for them, but I do think they can help to build cultural awareness, especially in the elderly.’

‘The big problem with what has happened to Barry is it’s all too familiar.’

On the other hand, Amazon’s spokesperson emphasised their commitment to protecting customers and increasing public awareness of scam avoidance.

‘Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that customers purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software,’ they clarified.

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that they are currently working on new initiatives for scam detection, prevention, and education.

CommBank unveils new anti-scam technology for improved money transfer protection. Video source: Sky News Australia​

Key Takeaways

• Barry Casey of Sydney lost $40,000 to scammers posing as Amazon Prime.
• Casey trusted his bank, Commonwealth Bank, to protect him from scams, but when contacted, they allegedly told him it was his own fault.
• These types of scams, known as remote access scams, took $7.2 million from Australians within the first six months of 2021.
• Commonwealth Bank's response acknowledged the impact of scams and encouraged customers to be cautious, never disclose confidential banking information and reject unfamiliar requests.

Members, have any of you encountered this before? How did you spot the scam and avoid falling for it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

My son had someone get a loan in his name and sent to his account he got notice that the money had come into the account my son knew he had not applied for it phoned his bank straight up block his bank and cards phoned the loan place up told them he did not apply for it and the money would be paid straight back the the bank said that they would put a note on their computer about it a week latter it happened again only my son did not get a notice and within a minute of the money going in it came out my son phoned the bank up asked why this had happened they said it’s the only way they can catch them so my son went into the bank closed his account and transfarred the money into a new account you would think it would of stopped there no the loan company took their first payment from the closed account making it overdrawn how can you overdraw a closed account anyway the bank put a message on the computer nothing in or out of this account now the bank keeps sending overdrawn messages to him he did report it to the police the same day as it happened this was the commonwealth bank too

 

[Loubeauxarts]

Hey Guys let's cut Barry a bit of slack here. If he is undergoing cancer treatments, I have seen first hand the debilitating effects of chemotherapy and radiation on people fighting that disease. If you thought the brain fog caused by COVID was bad multiply it by ten and you might come close. Obviously the bank can't be held to account 100% but why didn't they query the withdrawals at the time? Why do some people get the third degree for trying to withdraw a few hundred dollars yet they will transfer 40K from someone's account without question? Think about it.
There's an old saying, never judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. I am saddened to see the lack of compassion in this instance

 

[gordon1940]

Typical action from Commbank, who brag about the billions profit made but then do nothing to help customers scammed from their money. I, for one, shall be closing my account and heading to a Credit Union where they tend to care more about their customers than making billion dollar profits and overly high paid CEOs.

Come on! If you WILLINGLY disclose your PERSONAL information to a Third Party be prepared to accept the consequences. My heart goes out to the complaintant....But!

 

[Viellarde]

Hey Guys let's cut Barry a bit of slack here. If he is undergoing cancer treatments, I have seen first hand the debilitating effects of chemotherapy and radiation on people fighting that disease. If you thought the brain fog caused by COVID was bad multiply it by ten and you might come close. Obviously the bank can't be held to account 100% but why didn't they query the withdrawals at the time? Why do some people get the third degree for trying to withdraw a few hundred dollars yet they will transfer 40K from someone's account without question? Think about it.
There's an old saying, never judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. I am saddened to see the lack of compassion in this instance

I totally agree. Some cancer treatment destroys your ability to reason. Let's also acknowledge that Barry has accepted responsibility for his brain-fade. He deserves some sympathy.