Teen loses entire savings after falling victim to devastating NAB Scam - here's what happened

After years of working hard and saving every penny she could, 18-year-old Aurora Casilli from Western Australia was confident that she would soon be able to afford her own home.

She had big goals and worked hard to achieve them all - starting her first casual job at the young age of 14.

However, the teen's goal came crashing down when she became a victim of a new, sophisticated scam that has seen her getting wiped out of her entire life savings.



Aurora recalled that it all started when she received a text message she believed was from her bank.

It said that someone with a name she didn't recognise was trying to transfer money out of her account – and she only had a few seconds to act.

'I was just at home, about to make breakfast when the text came through. I panicked when I read it,' she shared.

'All the money I had saved, and now I thought someone was in my account trying to make an unauthorised transfer.'


pexels-photo-7111619.jpeg

Aurora had been saving since she started working at age 14. Unfortunately, a phone scammer managed to con her out of all of her savings, leaving her with nothing. Credit: Pexels/Tara Winstead.



The teen recalled that nothing about the unexpected interaction seemed out of place at the time as the text message claimed to be from the National Australia Bank (NAB).

'The text was from NAB, and was underneath other messages I got from them. It seemed legit to me, so I called the number in a panic,' she continued.

'If it was from a random mobile number, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it seemed so real.'



The text message also included an instruction to call the 'banks' 1800 number if she does not authorise the supposed transfer.

Aurora, who was in a 'state of shock' at the time, made the decision to dial the number, hoping that it could help prevent someone from stealing her money.

Unfortunately, what followed was a series of steps she would come to later realise were all attempts to con her out of her hard-earned money.


0c093cf47daf5daa32c6f1d7e0e6b73a

Aurora was not suspicious of the text message as it appeared to be from a legitimate NAB number. Credit: Aurora Casilli.



The teen recounted that when she called the number she was given, the prompts and music were exactly the same as when she'd called her bank in the past, making her believe that there was nothing suspicious about the process.

She even had to wait an hour on hold to talk to someone, which she said only added to the apparent authenticity of the call.

After a gruelling wait, she was then connected to a 'professional and polite' man with a British accent.



Aurora explained: 'He sounded like any normal person working at a bank.'

'You hear things on the news about scammers being from other countries and having broken English or heavy foreign accents.'

'But he was just a man with a British accent that spoke in a professional way. It did not seem suspicious.'

The man assured her that she had nothing to worry about and suggested that, in order to increase her level of financial security, he will transfer all of her funds into a new account, which he claimed he was setting up for her at the time of the call.



The teen followed the man's suggestion and then he hung up...

Tragically, it wasn’t until after Aurora sent over her entire life savings of $36,561.37 that she realised the account the money was sent to wasn’t actually a NAB one, but a Commonwealth Bank account.

She shared that she looked up the BSB (Bank State Branch) number, which she claims differed completely from the one on the NAB account she had been contacted about.



'I felt sick, I just got this gut feeling that something was terribly wrong,' she said.

'I called back, and asked why he wanted me to transfer the money into a Commonwealth account. He hung up again.'

'That’s when it hit home, I’d been scammed.'

'You never think something like this will happen to you.'



Allegedly, the scammers used the technique of 'spoofing' to make their phone number appear to be another legitimate business.

Aurora quickly contacted Commonwealth Bank to try and stop the transfer. However, it was too late and she was informed that the funds had already been taken out.

A Commonwealth bank representative also told her that they have 'flagged' the account and are currently investigating Aurora's case.



She remarked: 'I’m devastated. I’ve worked hard all my life, I was saving for a house.'

'All those shifts, all the work I put in, and now this.'

'While my friends were going out and buying nice things like makeup and clothes, I was saving. I was saving for my future.'

'Now I have nothing. I have to start all over again.'



Aurora also contacted NAB for help.

Unfortunately after careful deliberation, the bank decided that while Aurora is covered by NAB’s fraud protection policy, the bank believes she authorised the payment and therefore isn’t liable for the $37,000 she lost.

The memo further indicated that NAB did not view Aurora as a scam victim because the payments were made via her personal device and there was no evidence to show that the bank had failed to deliver its duties.

Despite this, NAB offered her a $3,000 goodwill gesture, which she declined.



'I just want to raise awareness so this doesn’t happen to others,' Aurora said.

'If it can happen to me, it could happen to anyone. It is so scary what these scammers can do.'

'I do think NAB should be held responsible and have more security measures in place, so that their customers do not get scammed.'

'I also think banks in general need an urgent line for people in these situations. If I hadn’t been on hold for hours, maybe I could have gotten my money back.'

'I’m honestly just heartbroken, and I hope nobody else will ever have to go through this.'



Chris Sheehan, NAB’s Executive of Group Investigations and Fraud, said that while the bank cannot comment on individual cases, they encourage their customers to always be vigilant of people asking for your banking details even if they appear legitimate.

According to Mr Sheehan, scammers had made use of a software that could make their phone numbers appear as if they belonged to the bank itself.



He also warned people about NAB’s deceptive strategies of asking vulnerable customers to update their details or to transfer money to another account in the name of 'security'.

'We’ve seen a significant increase in scams in recent years and it’s upsetting to see the devastating effects these can have,' Mr Sheehan said in a statement.

'The prevalence of scams highlights they’re a society-wide issue and we all have a role to play in taking action, driving education and raising awareness.'

Key Takeaways

  • Aurora Casilli, an 18-year-old from Albany, Western Australia, lost her entire life savings of $37,000 to an apparent scam perpetrated by someone spoofing NAB's phone number.
  • The scam employed techniques such as the same music and voice prompts heard when calling NAB, as well as a professional and polite male with a British accent who urged her to transfer her savings into a new NAB account in her name.
  • It turned out to be a Commonwealth Bank account, and by the time Aurora realised this, her money had already been taken out.
  • NAB determined that they were not liable for the lost funds due to Aurora's authorisation of the transfer. Despite this, they offered her a goodwill gesture of $3,000.



This story is a stark reminder of how phone scammers can target those who least expect it, and highlights why it is so important to stay vigilant, especially when it comes to money matters.

Members, you can protect yourselves from becoming a victim of massive frauds like this by following a few key steps.

Firstly, it’s important to always hang up on suspicious calls, and give your bank a direct call on their official number. It’s wise to avoid clicking on any links sent via text messages as well, no matter how urgent the senders may seem.

Remember never to share your personal or banking information with anyone unless you’re certain that they are real and authentic. If a caller or message displays a threatening tone at any point, don’t cave in or panic.

In any case, if you do feel intimidated by a caller, it’s a sure sign you should hang up and call the bank from the number on the back of your card.

Most importantly of all, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to be assertive.

So, there you have it, folks! If you encounter similar phone calls, don't hesitate to report the incident to Scam Watch Australia. Stay safe out there!
 
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I was nearly a victim of a similar scheme by a British accent male purporting to be from AMP bank who tried very hard to appear legitimate, perhaps too hard as I had a sixth sense that something was not quite right. He used names of bank employees, spoofed phone numbers, bank stationery, you name it. Obviously a lot of research had been done.
 
Exactly the same thing happened to my daughter. Fortunately a much smaller amount was taken but it made her feel so embarrassed and hurt. She reported it to her bank and they are "trying to get it back" for her but we don't hold up much hope. Let's hope that "what goes around, comes around" and those bastards get a taste of their own medicine.
 
No wonder my parent's generation hid their money "under the mattress". They knew what they were doing. That's why all my mobile calls go to voicemail if they are not on my contact list and all messages blocked if even I have a slight suspicion. I prefer to go to my bank personally if I get such a message that my funds are compromised. I'm dubious about paying online unless through Paypal. Even a $5 item paid online, once you give them your card details, they have the power. I know I am cynical and distrusting, but like all of us, we worked hard for our money.
 
After years of working hard and saving every penny she could, 18-year-old Aurora Casilli from Western Australia was confident that she would soon be able to afford her own home.

She had big goals and worked hard to achieve them all - starting her first casual job at the young age of 14.

However, the teen's goal came crashing down when she became a victim of a new, sophisticated scam that has seen her getting wiped out of her entire life savings.



Aurora recalled that it all started when she received a text message she believed was from her bank.

It said that someone with a name she didn't recognise was trying to transfer money out of her account – and she only had a few seconds to act.

'I was just at home, about to make breakfast when the text came through. I panicked when I read it,' she shared.

'All the money I had saved, and now I thought someone was in my account trying to make an unauthorised transfer.'


pexels-photo-7111619.jpeg

Aurora had been saving since she started working at age 14. Unfortunately, a phone scammer managed to con her out of all of her savings, leaving her with nothing. Credit: Pexels/Tara Winstead.



The teen recalled that nothing about the unexpected interaction seemed out of place at the time as the text message claimed to be from the National Australia Bank (NAB).

'The text was from NAB, and was underneath other messages I got from them. It seemed legit to me, so I called the number in a panic,' she continued.

'If it was from a random mobile number, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it seemed so real.'



The text message also included an instruction to call the 'banks' 1800 number if she does not authorise the supposed transfer.

Aurora, who was in a 'state of shock' at the time, made the decision to dial the number, hoping that it could help prevent someone from stealing her money.

Unfortunately, what followed was a series of steps she would come to later realise were all attempts to con her out of her hard-earned money.


0c093cf47daf5daa32c6f1d7e0e6b73a

Aurora was not suspicious of the text message as it appeared to be from a legitimate NAB number. Credit: Aurora Casilli.



The teen recounted that when she called the number she was given, the prompts and music were exactly the same as when she'd called her bank in the past, making her believe that there was nothing suspicious about the process.

She even had to wait an hour on hold to talk to someone, which she said only added to the apparent authenticity of the call.

After a gruelling wait, she was then connected to a 'professional and polite' man with a British accent.



Aurora explained: 'He sounded like any normal person working at a bank.'

'You hear things on the news about scammers being from other countries and having broken English or heavy foreign accents.'

'But he was just a man with a British accent that spoke in a professional way. It did not seem suspicious.'

The man assured her that she had nothing to worry about and suggested that, in order to increase her level of financial security, he will transfer all of her funds into a new account, which he claimed he was setting up for her at the time of the call.



The teen followed the man's suggestion and then he hung up...

Tragically, it wasn’t until after Aurora sent over her entire life savings of $36,561.37 that she realised the account the money was sent to wasn’t actually a NAB one, but a Commonwealth Bank account.

She shared that she looked up the BSB (Bank State Branch) number, which she claims differed completely from the one on the NAB account she had been contacted about.



'I felt sick, I just got this gut feeling that something was terribly wrong,' she said.

'I called back, and asked why he wanted me to transfer the money into a Commonwealth account. He hung up again.'

'That’s when it hit home, I’d been scammed.'

'You never think something like this will happen to you.'



Allegedly, the scammers used the technique of 'spoofing' to make their phone number appear to be another legitimate business.

Aurora quickly contacted Commonwealth Bank to try and stop the transfer. However, it was too late and she was informed that the funds had already been taken out.

A Commonwealth bank representative also told her that they have 'flagged' the account and are currently investigating Aurora's case.



She remarked: 'I’m devastated. I’ve worked hard all my life, I was saving for a house.'

'All those shifts, all the work I put in, and now this.'

'While my friends were going out and buying nice things like makeup and clothes, I was saving. I was saving for my future.'

'Now I have nothing. I have to start all over again.'



Aurora also contacted NAB for help.

Unfortunately after careful deliberation, the bank decided that while Aurora is covered by NAB’s fraud protection policy, the bank believes she authorised the payment and therefore isn’t liable for the $37,000 she lost.

The memo further indicated that NAB did not view Aurora as a scam victim because the payments were made via her personal device and there was no evidence to show that the bank had failed to deliver its duties.

Despite this, NAB offered her a $3,000 goodwill gesture, which she declined.



'I just want to raise awareness so this doesn’t happen to others,' Aurora said.

'If it can happen to me, it could happen to anyone. It is so scary what these scammers can do.'

'I do think NAB should be held responsible and have more security measures in place, so that their customers do not get scammed.'

'I also think banks in general need an urgent line for people in these situations. If I hadn’t been on hold for hours, maybe I could have gotten my money back.'

'I’m honestly just heartbroken, and I hope nobody else will ever have to go through this.'



Chris Sheehan, NAB’s Executive of Group Investigations and Fraud, said that while the bank cannot comment on individual cases, they encourage their customers to always be vigilant of people asking for your banking details even if they appear legitimate.

According to Mr Sheehan, scammers had made use of a software that could make their phone numbers appear as if they belonged to the bank itself.



He also warned people about NAB’s deceptive strategies of asking vulnerable customers to update their details or to transfer money to another account in the name of 'security'.

'We’ve seen a significant increase in scams in recent years and it’s upsetting to see the devastating effects these can have,' Mr Sheehan said in a statement.

'The prevalence of scams highlights they’re a society-wide issue and we all have a role to play in taking action, driving education and raising awareness.'

Key Takeaways

  • Aurora Casilli, an 18-year-old from Albany, Western Australia, lost her entire life savings of $37,000 to an apparent scam perpetrated by someone spoofing NAB's phone number.
  • The scam employed techniques such as the same music and voice prompts heard when calling NAB, as well as a professional and polite male with a British accent who urged her to transfer her savings into a new NAB account in her name.
  • It turned out to be a Commonwealth Bank account, and by the time Aurora realised this, her money had already been taken out.
  • NAB determined that they were not liable for the lost funds due to Aurora's authorisation of the transfer. Despite this, they offered her a goodwill gesture of $3,000.



This story is a stark reminder of how phone scammers can target those who least expect it, and highlights why it is so important to stay vigilant, especially when it comes to money matters.

Members, you can protect yourselves from becoming a victim of massive frauds like this by following a few key steps.

Firstly, it’s important to always hang up on suspicious calls, and give your bank a direct call on their official number. It’s wise to avoid clicking on any links sent via text messages as well, no matter how urgent the senders may seem.

Remember never to share your personal or banking information with anyone unless you’re certain that they are real and authentic. If a caller or message displays a threatening tone at any point, don’t cave in or panic.

In any case, if you do feel intimidated by a caller, it’s a sure sign you should hang up and call the bank from the number on the back of your card.

Most importantly of all, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to be assertive.

So, there you have it, folks! If you encounter similar phone calls, don't hesitate to report the incident to Scam Watch Australia. Stay safe out there!
My heart goes out to the young girl. Luckily, I dont even come close to having anywhere near the amount of $ this poor girl did. It shows that, no matter how vigilant you can be, you can still come undone. I would have accepted the $3000 offered by NAB! Then transferred to a different bank completely, take my business elsewhere.
 
So sorry for this girl. See its not just us oldies that get scammed. 😪
As I said in a previous post of mine, I don't trust people with a certain accent. British accent in particular as they are good at it. And unfortunatley, that is the case once again.
 
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After years of working hard and saving every penny she could, 18-year-old Aurora Casilli from Western Australia was confident that she would soon be able to afford her own home.

She had big goals and worked hard to achieve them all - starting her first casual job at the young age of 14.

However, the teen's goal came crashing down when she became a victim of a new, sophisticated scam that has seen her getting wiped out of her entire life savings.



Aurora recalled that it all started when she received a text message she believed was from her bank.

It said that someone with a name she didn't recognise was trying to transfer money out of her account – and she only had a few seconds to act.

'I was just at home, about to make breakfast when the text came through. I panicked when I read it,' she shared.

'All the money I had saved, and now I thought someone was in my account trying to make an unauthorised transfer.'


pexels-photo-7111619.jpeg

Aurora had been saving since she started working at age 14. Unfortunately, a phone scammer managed to con her out of all of her savings, leaving her with nothing. Credit: Pexels/Tara Winstead.



The teen recalled that nothing about the unexpected interaction seemed out of place at the time as the text message claimed to be from the National Australia Bank (NAB).

'The text was from NAB, and was underneath other messages I got from them. It seemed legit to me, so I called the number in a panic,' she continued.

'If it was from a random mobile number, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it seemed so real.'



The text message also included an instruction to call the 'banks' 1800 number if she does not authorise the supposed transfer.

Aurora, who was in a 'state of shock' at the time, made the decision to dial the number, hoping that it could help prevent someone from stealing her money.

Unfortunately, what followed was a series of steps she would come to later realise were all attempts to con her out of her hard-earned money.


0c093cf47daf5daa32c6f1d7e0e6b73a

Aurora was not suspicious of the text message as it appeared to be from a legitimate NAB number. Credit: Aurora Casilli.



The teen recounted that when she called the number she was given, the prompts and music were exactly the same as when she'd called her bank in the past, making her believe that there was nothing suspicious about the process.

She even had to wait an hour on hold to talk to someone, which she said only added to the apparent authenticity of the call.

After a gruelling wait, she was then connected to a 'professional and polite' man with a British accent.



Aurora explained: 'He sounded like any normal person working at a bank.'

'You hear things on the news about scammers being from other countries and having broken English or heavy foreign accents.'

'But he was just a man with a British accent that spoke in a professional way. It did not seem suspicious.'

The man assured her that she had nothing to worry about and suggested that, in order to increase her level of financial security, he will transfer all of her funds into a new account, which he claimed he was setting up for her at the time of the call.



The teen followed the man's suggestion and then he hung up...

Tragically, it wasn’t until after Aurora sent over her entire life savings of $36,561.37 that she realised the account the money was sent to wasn’t actually a NAB one, but a Commonwealth Bank account.

She shared that she looked up the BSB (Bank State Branch) number, which she claims differed completely from the one on the NAB account she had been contacted about.



'I felt sick, I just got this gut feeling that something was terribly wrong,' she said.

'I called back, and asked why he wanted me to transfer the money into a Commonwealth account. He hung up again.'

'That’s when it hit home, I’d been scammed.'

'You never think something like this will happen to you.'



Allegedly, the scammers used the technique of 'spoofing' to make their phone number appear to be another legitimate business.

Aurora quickly contacted Commonwealth Bank to try and stop the transfer. However, it was too late and she was informed that the funds had already been taken out.

A Commonwealth bank representative also told her that they have 'flagged' the account and are currently investigating Aurora's case.



She remarked: 'I’m devastated. I’ve worked hard all my life, I was saving for a house.'

'All those shifts, all the work I put in, and now this.'

'While my friends were going out and buying nice things like makeup and clothes, I was saving. I was saving for my future.'

'Now I have nothing. I have to start all over again.'



Aurora also contacted NAB for help.

Unfortunately after careful deliberation, the bank decided that while Aurora is covered by NAB’s fraud protection policy, the bank believes she authorised the payment and therefore isn’t liable for the $37,000 she lost.

The memo further indicated that NAB did not view Aurora as a scam victim because the payments were made via her personal device and there was no evidence to show that the bank had failed to deliver its duties.

Despite this, NAB offered her a $3,000 goodwill gesture, which she declined.



'I just want to raise awareness so this doesn’t happen to others,' Aurora said.

'If it can happen to me, it could happen to anyone. It is so scary what these scammers can do.'

'I do think NAB should be held responsible and have more security measures in place, so that their customers do not get scammed.'

'I also think banks in general need an urgent line for people in these situations. If I hadn’t been on hold for hours, maybe I could have gotten my money back.'

'I’m honestly just heartbroken, and I hope nobody else will ever have to go through this.'



Chris Sheehan, NAB’s Executive of Group Investigations and Fraud, said that while the bank cannot comment on individual cases, they encourage their customers to always be vigilant of people asking for your banking details even if they appear legitimate.

According to Mr Sheehan, scammers had made use of a software that could make their phone numbers appear as if they belonged to the bank itself.



He also warned people about NAB’s deceptive strategies of asking vulnerable customers to update their details or to transfer money to another account in the name of 'security'.

'We’ve seen a significant increase in scams in recent years and it’s upsetting to see the devastating effects these can have,' Mr Sheehan said in a statement.

'The prevalence of scams highlights they’re a society-wide issue and we all have a role to play in taking action, driving education and raising awareness.'

Key Takeaways

  • Aurora Casilli, an 18-year-old from Albany, Western Australia, lost her entire life savings of $37,000 to an apparent scam perpetrated by someone spoofing NAB's phone number.
  • The scam employed techniques such as the same music and voice prompts heard when calling NAB, as well as a professional and polite male with a British accent who urged her to transfer her savings into a new NAB account in her name.
  • It turned out to be a Commonwealth Bank account, and by the time Aurora realised this, her money had already been taken out.
  • NAB determined that they were not liable for the lost funds due to Aurora's authorisation of the transfer. Despite this, they offered her a goodwill gesture of $3,000.



This story is a stark reminder of how phone scammers can target those who least expect it, and highlights why it is so important to stay vigilant, especially when it comes to money matters.

Members, you can protect yourselves from becoming a victim of massive frauds like this by following a few key steps.

Firstly, it’s important to always hang up on suspicious calls, and give your bank a direct call on their official number. It’s wise to avoid clicking on any links sent via text messages as well, no matter how urgent the senders may seem.

Remember never to share your personal or banking information with anyone unless you’re certain that they are real and authentic. If a caller or message displays a threatening tone at any point, don’t cave in or panic.

In any case, if you do feel intimidated by a caller, it’s a sure sign you should hang up and call the bank from the number on the back of your card.

Most importantly of all, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to be assertive.

So, there you have it, folks! If you encounter similar phone calls, don't hesitate to report the incident to Scam Watch Australia. Stay safe out there!
 
It sounds like it was someone working within the bank was involved. How did they know she had a large amount in her account and how come she rang the NABs 1800 number and still wasn't speaking to a NAB employee?
I hope the police fraud squad are considering these suspicious events.
 
It's a very harsh lesson to learn but never, never, never, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER respond to requests of this sort via links in the SMS or email.
Always double check the request with your bank or other institution with another genuine number and, even better, with another device.
The NAB are quite right, I don't think they are responsible in any way for this event and there is nothing they can do to stop the unfortunate actions of their customers.
 
Banks will NOT call you, email you, text you. If you get it, WALK into your bank ASAP and talk to them face to face. Every little town has a bank, your bank. Just walk into your bank. Where your $'s are concerned, get off your electronics and walk!!! into your bank.
Many (if not most) small towns no longer have banks of any breed.
 
Something my husband drummed into our family early on, is:
a) NEVER click on a link provided in an email, especially an unsolicited one, and
b) ALWAYS look up the bank’s contact details on your statements or their known website.
I’ve been saved by that simple advice countless times!
 
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Banks will NOT call you, email you, text you. If you get it, WALK into your bank ASAP and talk to them face to face. Every little town has a bank, your bank. Just walk into your bank. Where your $'s are concerned, get off your electronics and walk!!! into your bank.
Not strictly true. There are plenty of little towns with no bank, and even some larger towns, like mine, have banks with greatly restricted operating hours (ironically because of the uptake of on-line banking!). One thing you CAN do: do not use a mobile phone for ANY contact with a bank; use a landline to call the number/s shown on your really-o, truly-o paper Bank Statement, then make copious notes of the conversation including the Bank employee's name.
 
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Typical NAB attitude. I had a scammer lock me out of my account, NAB refused to take any action to rectify the situation. Even letters to State Manager, CEO and all Board members remain unanswered. Also with a complaint to the Banking Ombudsman, NAB wriggled out of its responsibility using a minor technicality and offered no alternative. I am still locked out. Do not bank NAB.
 

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