In an age where digital connections can blossom into romance, the heart can sometimes lead us down treacherous paths, especially regarding online relationships.

This was nearly the case for one unsuspecting woman who almost lost millions to an 'overseas boyfriend', a stark reminder that when it comes to matters of the heart, we must also protect our wallets.

The incident unfolded at a Westpac branch in Liverpool, Sydney's southwest, where a vigilant bank teller, Marlena Karbowski, noticed something amiss.

The customer, a woman intent on selling her home, claimed she needed the funds to assist her son.

Westpac bank teller Marlena Karbowski was suspicious of a woman's transaction. Credit: 9 News Australia / YouTube

‘I asked, “Why are you selling?” She was a little bit nervous, and she said, “I have to sell, I have to help my son,”’ Karbowski said.

However, upon gentle probing, Karbowski discovered the truth: the woman had an 'overseas boyfriend' who claimed he was stuck in jail and needed bail money.

Karbowski took the woman into the privacy of her office and asked for more information.

‘My next question was, please tell me the last time he took you out for a coffee, and she said, “Actually, never, we met online,”’ Karbowski said.

Karbowski conducted a Google reverse image search, and the results were shocking but clear: the 'boyfriend's' profile was a patchwork of stolen images from various social media accounts.

The emotional impact on the woman was profound, but thanks to Karbowski's support, she was escorted to the police station to report the crime, potentially saving her from financial ruin.

Westpac's recent initiative, SaferPay, utilises artificial intelligence to scrutinise 'high-risk' transactions, potentially halting customers from sending money to scammers.

It prompts users to pause and reflect on their actions, and if a transaction is flagged as a security risk, the technology can block it outright.

Should this occur, customers receive a phone call from the bank to discuss the situation further.

You can watch 9 News Australia's coverage below:

Credit: 9 News Australia / YouTube​

The story of the woman and her 'overseas boyfriend' is not an isolated incident.

According to Scamwatch, Australians lost $82.1 million to scams in the final quarter of 2023 alone.

In a similar story, another bank teller saved a couple from losing $80,000 from an online investment scam. You can read more about the story here.

Tip

Members, if you or someone else was scammed, notify your bank immediately. You can also report the scam to Scamwatch here.

You can also visit our Scam Watch forum to stay updated with the latest tricks scammers use to deceive people out of their money and sensitive details.

Key Takeaways

• A bank teller at a Westpac branch in Sydney has prevented a woman from being scammed out of millions by an 'overseas boyfriend.'
• The teller, Marlena Karbowski, became suspicious when the woman wanted to sell her home to help her son, who turned out to be a scammer pretending to be in jail.
• Using Google reverse image search, Karbowski exposed the scammer's fake profile, which used stolen images from social media.
• Westpac has introduced SaferPay, an AI-powered tool designed to identify high-risk transactions and protect customers from potential scams.

Have you or someone you know encountered a similar situation? How did you deal with it? Let us know in the comments below.

 

[Bill MacL]

Is a GOOGLE reverse search available to anyone, If yes, how does it work?

 

[Suzanne rose]

Good on West pac .

I think that is a real eye opener for everyone.
I can't fathom how anyone would even give that much money to someone she hasn't even met.

She must have discussed her finances with him which is a red light and should never happen . Make out your poor .

I think people have to be careful even if they have met .

I wouldn't look at giving any large sum of money until I knew that person for years.

If and that's a big if , I started a new relationship I would make out I was poor and didn't own my house.

If we ended up living together I would do a pre nuptial stating my house goes to my kids.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Is a GOOGLE reverse search available to anyone, If yes, how does it work?

I think you just click on the photo and a search bar comes up. It will then show the image and usually leads to a profile like Facebook ect

 

[Bill MacL]

I think you just click on the photo and a search bar comes up. It will then show the image and usually leads to a profile like Facebook ect

Thanks. It never ceases to amaze me how all these Companies that use Technology and AI Automatically Assume that everybody is a computer genius, they just LACK THE COMMON SENSE that there are millions and millions of people around the world (many of them seniors) that never had computers in school or work places. What I have noticed about AI is, that it doesn't Understand Common Sense, Meaning or Context, AI is only limited to whatever it has been programmed to do (answer questions}, Usually multiple choice answers to a few sets of questions, then it will Change the Topic...That's when you know you are chatting with a Robot.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Thanks. It never ceases to amaze me how all these Companies that use Technology and AI Automatically Assume that everybody is a computer genius, they just LACK THE COMMON SENSE that there are millions and millions of people around the world (many of them seniors) that never had computers in school or work places. What I have noticed about AI is, that it doesn't Understand Common Sense, Meaning or Context, AI is only limited to whatever it has been programmed to do (answer questions}, Usually multiple choice answers to a few sets of questions, then it will Change the Topic...That's when you know you are chatting with a Robot.

When I click on a photo an option also comes up to do a bixby search. I have done this when someone has posted a photo claiming it's theirs only to find on line it was someone else's