In a world where we're often told to trust but verify, it's disheartening to hear stories of those who exploit that trust, especially regarding our senior community.

The latest scam to come to light is a cautionary tale for all, but particularly for our readers, who may be more vulnerable to these sophisticated deceptions.

These scams result in financial loss and erode the sense of security and trust many seniors rely on. It's crucial to stay informed and vigilant to prevent victimising such malicious schemes.

Imagine receiving a call from what seems to be a legitimate source, such as PayPal's fraud department, Telstra's security crime investigation squad, or McAfee Antivirus.

You answer, believing it's a trustworthy organisation.

An elderly woman was scammed by someone posing as a PayPal fraud officer, tricked into placing $5000 in her letterbox. Credit: pexels

However, you soon discover that the person on the other end is a fraudster aiming to swindle you out of your hard-earned money.

This is precisely what happened to several elderly Australians who were duped by a fake 'crime squad' in a letterbox scam that is as cunning as it is cruel.

The scam worked like this: victims received phone calls from individuals claiming to be from reputable companies, informing them that their bank details had been compromised and were being used for illegal activities overseas.

The scammers, who were persuasive and persistent during lengthy phone calls, convinced their targets that their financial security was at immediate risk.

The victims were instructed to take drastic measures to 'secure' their funds.

They were told to place their bank cards and, in some cases, $5,000 cash into an envelope and leave it in their letterbox for collection by 'security officials.'

The scammers claimed this was necessary to lock down their accounts and prevent further theft.

One of the perpetrators, a 22-year-old Indian student named Aman Kumar, was caught and pleaded guilty to almost 40 fraud charges at Blacktown Local Court.

Kumar, who resided in Quakers Hill, Sydney, was part of a syndicate that preyed on the elderly, collecting bank cards and cash from the homes of five victims and siphoning approximately $48,000 from their accounts.

Kumar's role in the scam was to collect the envelopes and then use the stolen cards to make purchases or withdraw cash.

He was seen on CCTV footage buying many items, including 10 iPhones, which he sold in a car park.

The proceeds from these sales were handed over to another syndicate member.

The impact was felt by two other victims as well, who lost between $6,600 and $17,000, while one couple had almost $12,000 stolen.

Kumar's actions stripped these individuals of their money, sense of security, and trust.

Kumar remains in custody, with the court considering a request to have him repay the amounts defrauded from the victims.

He has admitted to his crimes and is awaiting a sentencing hearing.

This incident is a stark reminder of the importance of being vigilant regarding personal and financial information.

We urge our members to stay alert and informed. If you or someone you know has been a victim of a scam, it's not just about the money lost but the emotional toll it takes.

Let's work together to protect our community and ensure our golden years remain secure and serene.

Key Takeaways

• An elderly woman was duped by a scammer posing as a member of PayPal's fraud department into placing $5000 in her letterbox.
• Indian student Aman Kumar admitted his role in the sophisticated letterbox scam, pleading guilty to nearly 40 fraud charges.
• Kumar collected bank cards and cash from the victims' homes, making purchases with the stolen details and siphoning around $48,000.
• Kumar remains in custody because of concerns he might flee to India, and the court has requested that he repay the defrauded amounts to his victims.

Have you or someone you know encountered a similar scam? Share your experiences in the comments below to help others stay safe.

 

[David567]

A fraud squad asking for money and cards to be left in the mail box. What a joke. That should be enough to send alarm bells ringing for anyone.

 

[Still Ebby]

McAfee are a bloody pest and l have this happening to me but not so much now. l think l annoyed them when l went through with their offer and kept clicking the x at the top to knock them off.
lf you are lucky to get on to a McAfee site make a complaint straight to them.l know some companies make it hard to complain

lt's strange but since writing this l have not had one McAfee message so perhaps just clicking them off constantly might work

 

[Bridget Williams]

McAfee are a bloody pest and l have this happening to me but not so much now. l think l annoyed them when l went through with their offer and kept clicking the x at the top to knock them off.
lf you are lucky to get on to a McAfee site make a complaint straight to them.l know some companies make it hard to complain

I wish I could put up a Ha! Ha! and really mean it. I have been doing what you did and click on the X at top right hand corner of the add until it goes. But no joy. I have even gone to their official site to complain, but there is nowhere there to ask for help or complain. I think they are just hoping that in the end their victims will give up and pay. Well I'm not going to even if it means waiting for some government to shut them down.

 

[Still Ebby]

I wish I could put up a Ha! Ha! and really mean it. I have been doing what you did and click on the X at top right hand corner of the add until it goes. But no joy. I have even gone to their official site to complain, but there is nowhere there to ask for help or complain. I think they are just hoping that in the end their victims will give up and pay. Well I'm not going to even if it means waiting for some government to shut them down.

 

[Still Ebby]

I wish I could put up a Ha! Ha! and really mean it. I have been doing what you did and click on the X at top right hand corner of the add until it goes. But no joy. I have even gone to their official site to complain, but there is nowhere there to ask for help or complain. I think they are just hoping that in the end their victims will give up and pay. Well I'm not going to even if it means waiting for some government to shut them down.

l know it is so annoying to get on their site to complain and all there is is stupid questions to answer .Keep trying it took about 2-3 days for mine to go off.The damn thing filled the whole page l will never buy their goods on principle

 

[Catherines]

Four things stand out in this article ... (1) it's a US Mail box that is not used in Straya; (2) how come the amounts quoted ranged from $6,000 to $17,000, while "an elderly woman" lost $5,000?; (3) how long has it been since you saw that many letters in your box?; (4) what's the "crucial detail"?
Might it be an example of the classic el cheapo cut-and-paste way of telling us a story?

Four things stand out in this article ... (1) it's a US Mail box that is not used in Straya; (2) how come the amounts quoted ranged from $6,000 to $17,000, while "an elderly woman" lost $5,000?; (3) how long has it been since you saw that many letters in your box?; (4) what's the "crucial detail"?
Might it be an example of the classic el cheapo cut-and-paste way of telling us a story?

I’m trying to work out where in the article you have determined that it is a US mailbox other than the picture. Can you shed light on this, please? All I can see, and only for illustration purposes in my opinion, is a US mailbox (perhaps a wrong choice by SDC! or whoever provided that picture). There is no single word that states it is a US incident. And what makes you decide that there is no one in Australia that receives a lot of mail - there are many, many elderly people that do not use/cannot use the internet for their correspondence and could very well get multiple letters/bills by mail.

The ‘crucial detail’ in my opinion could possibly be that we should be alert and not leave cards and cash in our letterboxes when requested by scammers or anyone. Banks don’t ask that, security guards don’t come around to collect money from letterboxes, never give money to any unknown entity unless you actually owe money to someone & if you do owe money put that payment directly into the person’s hands. Never ‘leave’ anything outside your home for anyone to pick up. The doorbell must be rung, identification provided AND CHECKED BY YOU before anything is given.

 

[DLHM]

…and has other luxuries probably even with a mobile phone too & other luxuries for that are permitted in jail…

Of course the “Indian student”, Aman Kumar needs to be deported for breaking Australian laws.

But you have distorted ideas about Australian jails. They’re not the luxury resorts you seem to think they are. Mobile phones and other personal items are taken from the prisoners during the administration process. Prisoners Australia wide are not permitted to have mobile phones.

Having an opinion is all well and good, but making statements that are based on your assumptions gives your opinion less credibility.

 

[DLHM]

lt's strange but since writing this l have not had one McAfee message so perhaps just clicking them off constantly might work

Fingers crossed!

 

[Catherines]

I am getting regular adverts from McAfee Antivirus. I have only been awake for 3/4 hour and already had had 3. I have been on line for advice which has resulted in my deleting everything in my Laptop connected to McAfee Antivirus but it has not made any difference. In fact the adverts seem to be more regular. What do I do now. I would be very gratefully for some advice that would work as I am 84 years old and a sufferer of Alzheimer's for over 10 years.

Bridget, my love, you stated you have been suffering from Alzheimer’s for over 10 years. A computer is not for you to handle alone - do you not have any family that can help you? You definitely should not be using an email address now. PLEASE, do not take offence, I’m not being rude or unkind to you - I’m being kind in suggesting that so you don’t get scammed. PLEASE cancel your on-line email account. Just use the internet to read things, because by having an email account you are sooner or later going to fall victim to a scammer while you are an Alzheimer’s sufferer.

My mother (also an Alzheimer’s sufferer, but deceased now just over 8 years) was put into permanent care straight from hospital. She and one day asked me to bring her her cheque book so she could, quote: “give these lovely people $2000”. That was after paying $350,000 to get her in there many years ago. Of course, that request fell on my deaf ears and she never brought up the subject again, probably even forgot she’d asked me.

If you have family to help you PLEASE, PLEASE, ask them to cancel your on-line email address. You can still read things on the ‘net’ but if you don’t have an email address, and don’t buy directly on the net you may not get scammed, I hope. The world now has so many new technological advances daily and the young are too damned smart for their own good only wanting to scam us. Keep away from an email address. PLEASE, even not knowing you, I’m still afraid for your safety.

 

[deni67]

Four things stand out in this article ... (1) it's a US Mail box that is not used in Straya; (2) how come the amounts quoted ranged from $6,000 to $17,000, while "an elderly woman" lost $5,000?; (3) how long has it been since you saw that many letters in your box?; (4) what's the "crucial detail"?
Might it be an example of the classic el cheapo cut-and-paste way of telling us a story?

The image with the letters in the box is an iStock photo, nothing to do with the story and just used as an example!

 

[deni67]

Bridget, my love, you stated you have been suffering from Alzheimer’s for over 10 years. A computer is not for you to handle alone - do you not have any family that can help you? You definitely should not be using an email address now. PLEASE, do not take offence, I’m not being rude or unkind to you - I’m being kind in suggesting that so you don’t get scammed. PLEASE cancel your on-line email account. Just use the internet to read things, because by having an email account you are sooner or later going to fall victim to a scammer while you are an Alzheimer’s sufferer.

My mother (also an Alzheimer’s sufferer, but deceased now just over 8 years) was put into permanent care straight from hospital. She and one day asked me to bring her her cheque book so she could, quote: “give these lovely people $2000”. That was after paying $350,000 to get her in there many years ago. Of course, that request fell on my deaf ears and she never brought up the subject again, probably even forgot she’d asked me.

If you have family to help you PLEASE, PLEASE, ask them to cancel your on-line email address. You can still read things on the ‘net’ but if you don’t have an email address, and don’t buy directly on the net you may not get scammed, I hope. The world now has so many new technological advances daily and the young are too damned smart for their own good only wanting to scam us. Keep away from an email address. PLEASE, even not knowing you, I’m still afraid for your safety.

You might say you're not being rude or unkind but in my opinion that's exactly how you come across, and very condescending!

 

[deni67]

Of course the “Indian student”, Aman Kumar needs to be deported for breaking Australian laws.

But you have distorted ideas about Australian jails. They’re not the luxury resorts you seem to think they are. Mobile phones and other personal items are taken from the prisoners during the administration process. Prisoners Australia wide are not permitted to have mobile phones.

Having an opinion is all well and good, but making statements that are based on your assumptions gives your opinion less credibility.

I get sick of telling people that jails arn't some cushy holiday place, there are a lot of things they arn't allowed and many rules that have to be obeyed!!

 

[Catherines]

You might say you're not being rude or unkind but in my opinion that's exactly how you come across, and very condescending!

Think what you like & how you interpret. I would not want anyone - including you - to be scammed if they were vulnerable. I am at present helping a friend of mine deal with putting her husband into care and giving her every support I can. So you think what you like of me.

 

[Stiggyyabass]

I am getting regular adverts from McAfee Antivirus. I have only been awake for 3/4 hour and already had had 3. I have been on line for advice which has resulted in my deleting everything in my Laptop connected to McAfee Antivirus but it has not made any difference. In fact the adverts seem to be more regular. What do I do now. I would be very gratefully for some advice that would work as I am 84 years old and a sufferer of Alzheimer's for over 10 years.

This

I am getting regular adverts from McAfee Antivirus. I have only been awake for 3/4 hour and already had had 3. I have been on line for advice which has resulted in my deleting everything in my Laptop connected to McAfee Antivirus but it has not made any difference. In fact the adverts seem to be more regular. What do I do now. I would be very gratefully for some advice that would work as I am 84 years old and a sufferer of Alzheimer's for over 10 years.

This is spam and not a genuine email from McAfee. Click on the address at the top of the email: in the box that opens click Block This Contact. Click again when it asks you to confirm.

 

[Ezzy]

'The Court is keeping him in custody while they consider if he should repay the money' & 'to release him he may abscond back to India'.

How is he going to repay this money while in Prison?
Releasing him so he can get the money is an opportunity to abscond, isn't it?

 

[Catherines]

Of course the “Indian student”, Aman Kumar needs to be deported for breaking Australian laws.

But you have distorted ideas about Australian jails. They’re not the luxury resorts you seem to think they are. Mobile phones and other personal items are taken from the prisoners during the administration process. Prisoners Australia wide are not permitted to have mobile phones.

Having an opinion is all well and good, but making statements that are based on your assumptions gives your opinion less credibility.

Was this Indian scammer an actual immigrant or was he (and perhaps even his parents) born in Australia? A name does not define someone as being an immigrant. If he and his parents were born here then none of them can be deported as they are citizens by birth. Which also creates the problem - where can he be deported to? No other country will want our ‘cast offs’. Better for our (slack) court system to prove and find him guilty, make him repay the money as well as jail him for a few years so he can realise his crime and, hopefully, never be tempted to offend again.

 

[DLHM]

Was this Indian scammer an actual immigrant or was he (and perhaps even his parents) born in Australia? A name does not define someone as being an immigrant. If he and his parents were born here then none of them can be deported as they are citizens by birth. Which also creates the problem - where can he be deported to? No other country will want our ‘cast offs’. Better for our (slack) court system to prove and find him guilty, make him repay the money as well as jail him for a few years so he can realise his crime and, hopefully, never be tempted to offend again.

The article stated that Aman Kumar was an Indian student, not an Australian. Therefore, Kumar would be an Indian living in Australia to receive an education. I was not saying he’s an immigrant because of his name as you suggested.

 

[Catherines]

The article stated that Aman Kumar was an Indian student, not an Australian. Therefore, Kumar would be an Indian living in Australia to receive an education. I was not saying he’s an immigrant because of his name as you suggested.

Not necessarily. It did not stipulate he is a student living here JUST to study - it did say he is an Indian student.

I am an immigrant from 1965, I married here in 1967, became naturalised in 1972 but I consider myself an Australian citizen even though my birthplace is overseas and I have no desire to return to the country of my birth - Australia has all that I need and has treated me very well. My three children were born here and they are Australian citizens by birth.

But I guess you are going on the words ‘Indian student’ and I don’t blame you for that assumption. Thank you for pulling me up on the words ‘Indian student’ and the assumption he is an immigrant with the approval to just study here; not all assumptions can be conclusive. However, I do hope he pays well for his criminal actions - it is such a cruel crime especially on elderly people who tend to fear repercussions. Penalties for crime must be looked at more thoroughly - I believe our justice system has many pitfalls when it comes to sentencing and other monetary penalties.

 

[Nantes]

So Whilst Kumar languishes in "free" accommodation with meals 3 times a day and has other luxuries probably even with a mobile phone too & other luxuries for that are permitted in jail whilst whoever deliberates his fate, those poor elderly people have lost their life savings? Does not make any sense or does it? Something terribly wrong with the judicial system and the goevernment!

Absolutely right, it's definitely a judicial system rather than a justice system, as many mistakenly think.

 

[FETCHAM]

Same experience with McFee. Notified my bank that they were not to make payments to McFee.
Notified McFee that if they persisted, I would report them to the Ombudsman and Consumer affairs, Viola! No more McFee notices.