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!

 

[terrible]

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!

It is his fault for being so stupid
High court case in UK recently upheld an appeal for the bank to reimburse losses
but court found if person provides their personal details and PIN and answer banks second
(two factor) safety mechanism then they are liable.

 

[MHM1962]

I'm sorry, but I fail to see why it's the bank's fault. People continually do stupid things in response to texts or emails, then cry because the bank won't reimburse them,

 

[BruceC]

It is his fault for being so stupid
High court case in UK recently upheld an appeal for the bank to reimburse losses
but court found if person provides their personal details and PIN and answer banks second
(two factor) safety mechanism then they are liable.

Exactly. Sick of people not being responsible for their own stupid actions!

 

[BruceC]

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.

You are a fool!
it was not the bank who gave out his details!
was Barry who stupidly gave access.
Why should the bank be held responsible?

 

[KiwiTrish]

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!ee

 

[Macarj]

Why didn't he ring the bank not the so called Amazon number

 

[Ezzy]

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

My thoughts exactly. The scammers would not have known that they had caught Barry at a weak moment in his life, but they certainly made the most of their windfall. The saying, "THERE GOES I BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD", could be very appropriate in this situation, perhaps?<

 

[marvin]

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 got charged for $155( commonwealth bank account) from a company based in the US something which I never ordered, luckily I checked my statement otherwise I could have done for a lot more. The merchant charged me from my debit card no. I went to the bank the next day cancelled my card and they got the money back from the merchant, I would advise everyone to keep checking their bank statement daily.

 

[BruceC]

I got charged for $155( commonwealth bank account) from a company based in the US something which I never ordered, luckily I checked my statement otherwise I could have done for a lot more. The merchant charged me from my debit card no. I went to the bank the next day cancelled my card and they got the money back from the merchant, I would advise everyone to keep checking their bank statement daily.

That’s terrible and you deserved to get your money back as you did not personally hand over your details to the scammer.
Very different to this stupid person who actually gave the scammers his info and therefore does not deserve one cent from the bank!

 

[mylittletibbies]

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.

I feel sorry for this gentleman, but you can't expect the bank to reimburse everyone for their own stupidity.
He ignored every warning sign and then to make matters worse overrode the banks security.
This is not the banks responsibility.

 

[anne2162]

As a

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!As

I

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!

also was with Comm Bank until in my early 50's, then I felt something was just not right the staff seemed good but I just had that strangest feeling I couldn't trust them so I closed all accounts, going forward 20 years I commenced hearing many things from various customers and in my mind's eye that just didn't seem right, seems I did the right thing in closing off with this bank. I do though very strongly feel that the bank should reimburse your funds. Good luck.

 

[marni]

So sad that he had been unwell - again a reason not to do financial business over the internet when you are not feeling the best. However, if the bank was to refund all money lost due to disclosing information that should stay private, then the bank would have no shareholders and they are the ones that keep the bank open. Each account holder would be paying higher fees as well.

 

[Howard2023]

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.

So before choosing which Credit Union to transfer your money to ask them this question FIRST


"If I GIVE someone one my password and they take money from my account will you give me an unconditional guarantee that you will refund my money"

Think you will find the answer will be NO

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.

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.

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.

 

[Nichola]

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

How did the scammers get Barry's bank account number in the first place?

 

[Esma Rose]

Loubeauxarts I agree with entirely. I also know what cancer can do in such a case. Do not judge. You have no right to. The mind certainly play s tricks on people who suffer debilitating illnesses. I am so saddened with the many people who I read about who have no compassion for another human being. These judgemental people are self made & have no respect for others. It is not the fact that Barry thought the bank would come to his rescue through HIS long loyalty life. You have missed the main point. The people have changed our World to a selfish, cruel & spiteful place to flounder in, & every day it never gets any better.
Money is evil & always has been. "Sharing" is a thing of the past. I watched both my husband & daughter struggle with cancer, the latter also with a massive stroke that took her speech as well as her crippled right side. There are millions in this world in my position. All the money in the world will not give you your health back, so learn to put things in their proper perspective as many a sufferer does. My wish in my mind is of everyone who wins the big prize in Lotto could donate a percentage of it to Charity. What you have not had you never miss. Even just one per cent. You would feel so good that you had done it. I know one person who was so lucky & mentioned she did not know what to do with it. Having no right to telling her what to do with it if it was me, I just answered, ""Why did you bother buying a ticket?"

 

[BruceC]

As a

I

also was with Comm Bank until in my early 50's, then I felt something was just not right the staff seemed good but I just had that strangest feeling I couldn't trust them so I closed all accounts, going forward 20 years I commenced hearing many things from various customers and in my mind's eye that just didn't seem right, seems I did the right thing in closing off with this bank. I do though very strongly feel that the bank should reimburse your funds. Good luck.

What a load of crap!
Couldn’t trust the staff! Why?
Were they taking money from your account?
Most stupid ridiculous comment I have ever read!
I have been with the Commonwealth for 60 years and have never had a single issue!

 

[BRIAN KK]

Of course it's not the bank's responsibility if an account holder gives out information. I can understand how someone can be bambozzled though, as it happened to me. I was sick medically and had just come back from seeing my wife at the hospital after her attempted suicide, found her on the floor that morning with 11 stab wounds so my mind was in a horrible mess. The company involved I'd had issues with the previous year and thought the matter was sorted about ongoing payments being deducted. The matter WAS sorted last year and this bastard was a scammer using that company's name. TOTALLY MY FAULT as I said my mind was all over the place and I gave them remote access. The program was called "Anydesk". I smelled a rat about half way through and shut down the program at about 4:30. I got a call from my building society at 5:30 asking about a larger than normal withdrawl on my account. Apparently these scumbags moved 30k around my accounts and then tried to withdraw $9k. The bank had deactivated access to my accounts by changing my customer number before ringing me. Why the scammers just didn't try to take the $30k is beyond me, but the building society had my back. Totally my fault as I said, but if you catch someone not quite in their right frame of mind they may do something silly like I did. Banking institutions can see your pattern of saving/spending and I can only presume in my case, a safeguard was in place for any transaction out of the ordinary. If this was the case, then this should be implemented across the whole industry.