Small error wipes out $170,000 house deposit in scam targeting Aussie couple

The dream of homeownership can be full of challenges, and for one couple, a minor oversight led to a financial nightmare.

After years of searching, they secured a $1.3 million property in a sought-after location with 5,000 square metres of land.

However, their joy was short-lived due to a scam that exploited a small detail, turning their dream into a costly setback.


The Robinsons had already paid a $65,000 deposit to the real estate agent without issue.

The trouble began when they attempted to transfer $252,000 to their conveyance.

They received an email containing the bank details for the transaction, seemingly from their solicitor, Jeff Horsey.


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An Australian couple lost a $170,000 in-house deposit due to an impersonation scam caused by a two-letter email error. Credit: iStock


It appeared legitimate, nestled within the same email chain as previous correspondence.

However, the email address was missing the critical '.au' suffix—a detail Sarah overlooked amidst the excitement and stress of the home-buying process.

To ensure the security of such a significant transaction, the couple visited their local ANZ branch to make the transfer, avoiding the perceived risks of using a phone or computer.


Only on the eve of settlement did the devastating truth come to light through a phone call.

The money had not reached their conveyancer but was diverted by scammers to a NAB account in Melbourne, then quickly dispersed into several other accounts.

The police acted swiftly, recovering $82,000 of the stolen funds—a rare victory in such cases—but the Robinsons were still left with a staggering $170,000 deficit.

'We've gotta start all over again,' Laine lamented, acknowledging the rising property values and their inability to find a new home.

Sarah expressed her embarrassment and guilt, feeling the weight of how one small oversight had irrevocably altered their lives.

This cruel deception is an impersonation scam, where hackers infiltrate email accounts to send fraudulent bank details to unsuspecting victims, seamlessly integrating their messages with previous legitimate exchanges.


These scammers often target high-value transactions, such as those in the housing and automotive sectors, and even impersonate trusted entities like Centrelink or the ATO.

Last year alone, ScamWatch received over 190,000 reports of impersonation scams, with losses exceeding $181 million.

AFP Commander Graeme Marshall has acknowledged the increasing sophistication of these scams, noting their challenging nature and the difficulty in identifying them as fraudulent.

Verify the details to protect yourself when transferring significant sums for a house or car deposit.

Before proceeding with any transfer, call a trusted representative using a verified phone number and cross-reference the bank account details.


At the Seniors Discount Club, we understand how important it is to stay vigilant against such scams, especially when they can profoundly impact your financial security and well-being.

We urge our members always to double-check details, be wary of any changes in communication, and trust their instincts.

If something feels off, take the time to confirm it. Your dream home should be a source of joy, not a gateway to financial ruin.

In other news, a NSW farmer lost $48,000 from his Macquarie Bank mortgage offset account after falling victim to a sophisticated scam involving a fake tractor sale.

Despite conducting due diligence, the fraud went unnoticed until it was too late, leaving him facing long-term financial strain. You can read more about it here.
Key Takeaways
  • An Australian couple lost $170,000 of their house deposit due to an impersonation scam involving a two-letter email error.
  • The couple transferred funds to a fraudulent account after receiving fake bank details from what they thought was their solicitor's email.
  • ScamWatch reported that last year, impersonation scams cost victims over $181 million.
  • Authorities recommend cross-referencing bank account details with a trusted phone number when transferring large sums of money for significant purchases to avoid scams.
Have you or someone you know ever encountered a similar situation? Share your experiences and tips for avoiding scams in the comments below.
 

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Yes, I was recently scammed out of $3000 by a scammer who somehow had got my bankcard details. He/she purchased audio tapes from a UK company that is attached to Amazon. So I guess my details had traveled all the way to the UK before it was used.
I reported those transactions to ANZ as soon as I could, and ANZ got my money back within a week.
When I first noticed that the money was going daily from my bankcard account, I contacted the UK Audio Company and spoke to two ladies, both Muslims I may add. They said that if I create an account with their company and pay the sign-up fee with my bankcard and give all my other details, they would check out the transactions for me. I thought......PIGS BUM !!!!! I'm not giving that info to anyone. So then I contacted the ANZ, and glad that I did.
 
Yes, I was recently scammed out of $3000 by a scammer who somehow had got my bankcard details. He/she purchased audio tapes from a UK company that is attached to Amazon. So I guess my details had traveled all the way to the UK before it was used.
I reported those transactions to ANZ as soon as I could, and ANZ got my money back within a week.
When I first noticed that the money was going daily from my bankcard account, I contacted the UK Audio Company and spoke to two ladies, both Muslims I may add. They said that if I create an account with their company and pay the sign-up fee with my bankcard and give all my other details, they would check out the transactions for me. I thought......PIGS BUM !!!!! I'm not giving that info to anyone. So then I contacted the ANZ, and glad that I did.
I was also got at too but, fortunately lost no money thanks to the beautiful lady I deal with , Julie from Great Southern Bank, who put me straight through to the bank crime section. I was caught because I received a huge message supposedly from Microsoft with all their details inc a phone number if you have a problem. My problem was that they'd frozen everything. A man who called himself Michael from Melbourne was on and off my computer for almost 2 days, While the bank was working my IT man was hard at work. He found, for a start 3080 attempts by scammers to get into my account. They made a real mess of my account but thankfully my IT man finally cleaned up the crap but it took almost 2 days to do a total clean out which he'd only done the week previous.
 
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I was also got at too but, fortunately lost no money thanks to the beautiful lady I deal with , Julie from Great Southern Bank, who put me straight through to the bank crime section. I was caught because I received a huge message supposedly from Microsoft with all their details inc a phone number if you have a problem. My problem was that they'd frozen everything. A man who called himself Michael from Melbourne was on and off my computer for almost 2 days, While the bank was working my IT man was hard at work. He found, for a start 3080 attempts by scammers to get into my account. They made a real mess of my account but thankfully my IT man finally cleaned up the crap but it took almost 2 days to do a total clean out which he'd only done the week previous.
Oh, that's scary. I hope I never have to go thru that.
But good on you for getting it all sorted out.
 
Luckily I have no mobile phone or credit cards or you can imagine what else these people could have done.
Those scammers are getting better at it every day.
I know there is a city that hasn't been built not long in Myanmar just across the border river of North Thailand.
It is owned and run by Chinese rich scammers. They get computer freaks hooked in by offering them jobs with high wages...........instead they are almost imprisoned in those new high rise buildings and have to work long hours each day scamming people worldwide on their computers. A few of those kids have escaped to Thailand to tell their stories.
The Thai govt can't do anything but watch these people operate with impunity in Myanmar just over the river. A great deal of drugs are carried into Thailand from Myanmar each year by Chinese run gangs that are almost their own armies too. They have lookouts that watch out for Thai Army presence on the opposite side of the river, so they can get their drugs over the river, because once they are in Thailand, they can be distributed to the world.

Read this recent article, it shows how big the scam industry is.

 
Those scammers are getting better at it every day.
I know there is a city that hasn't been built not long in Myanmar just across the border river of North Thailand.
It is owned and run by Chinese rich scammers. They get computer freaks hooked in by offering them jobs with high wages...........instead they are almost imprisoned in those new high rise buildings and have to work long hours each day scamming people worldwide on their computers. A few of those kids have escaped to Thailand to tell their stories.
The Thai govt can't do anything but watch these people operate with impunity in Myanmar just over the river. A great deal of drugs are carried into Thailand from Myanmar each year by Chinese run gangs that are almost their own armies too. They have lookouts that watch out for Thai Army presence on the opposite side of the river, so they can get their drugs over the river, because once they are in Thailand, they can be distributed to the world.

Read this recent article, it shows how big the scam industry is.

watched a tv program about this some time ago but it was in India. A whole suburb type setup, door to door with other highrise buildings and filled with people sitting at desks jammed against each other. They got very little sleep or food and my thoughts were "if the tv companies can get in and film long programs why can't the law get in there. Doesn't make sense to me.
 
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watched a tv program about this some time ago but it was in India. A whole suburb type setup, door to door with other highrise buildings and filled with people sitting at desks jammed against each other. They got very little sleep or food and my thoughts were "if the tv companies can get in and film long programs why can't the law get in there. Doesn't make sense to me.
I think if anyone from the law went there, they would probably disappear.
 
I think if anyone from the law went there, they would probably disappear.
doubt they could all get away...there were hundreds of them. The bloke who tried to get me started by saying he was from Williamstown in Victoria. When I homed in on his accent he admitted he was from Sri Lanka.
 
  • Wow
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