You could lose everything...unless you spot the early signs of this doorstep scam
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A Melbourne pensioner thought she was protecting her bank accounts—only to discover she had been robbed of tens of thousands of dollars.
The scam was so convincing that she willingly placed all her bank cards into an envelope and left them for the thieves to collect.
Now, police say more older Australians could be targeted by this emerging crime.
Bridgette, 74, said the ordeal began earlier this year when her computer screen suddenly flashed red and yellow with a warning claiming she had been hacked.
The message urged her to call a supposed Microsoft helpline, where a ‘very pleasant man’ told her that her bank accounts had also been compromised.
She was instructed to place all her bank and credit cards into an envelope labelled ‘Peter’ and leave it in her letterbox for collection.
The scammer promised she would receive new cards the following day.
Instead, Victoria Police said the stolen cards were used at a jewellery store in Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west, where $30,000 was spent.
‘I am a pensioner and it takes a long time to save money over the years,’ Bridgette shared.
Just three days later, a 73-year-old man fell victim to the exact same scheme.
He was told by someone pretending to be from his bank to follow the same process—place all his cards into an envelope in the letterbox.
By the time the cards were used at ATMs across three suburbs and at the same jewellery store as Bridgette’s, he was $45,000 out of pocket.
Victoria Police Detective Senior Constable Jack Aldersea said it was the first time his office had seen this kind of scam.
‘They prey on and take advantage of people that clearly don’t deserve it,’ he told the program.
‘Unfortunately, they seem to know or find out…people that are in this age bracket, and they target them.’
ScamWatch warned that letterbox scammers often pose as representatives from trusted organisations like banks or IT companies.
Authorities are urging people—especially older Australians—to hang up on unsolicited calls claiming to be from these institutions, and to verify any requests directly with their bank or service provider.
It only takes a momentary lapse in judgment for a scam to slip through the cracks, and the consequences can be more serious than you think.
In another case, a man learned this the hard way after receiving what looked like a legitimate email—only to find it was a trap.
Read more: 'I simply clicked the link': Man shares how one email put his Centrelink payments at risk
Losing hard-earned savings to a scam like this can be devastating—how can vulnerable Australians be better protected from such calculated deception?
The scam was so convincing that she willingly placed all her bank cards into an envelope and left them for the thieves to collect.
Now, police say more older Australians could be targeted by this emerging crime.
Bridgette, 74, said the ordeal began earlier this year when her computer screen suddenly flashed red and yellow with a warning claiming she had been hacked.
The message urged her to call a supposed Microsoft helpline, where a ‘very pleasant man’ told her that her bank accounts had also been compromised.
She was instructed to place all her bank and credit cards into an envelope labelled ‘Peter’ and leave it in her letterbox for collection.
Woman, 74, tricked into handing over cards. Image source: Pexels/RDNE Stock project
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
The scammer promised she would receive new cards the following day.
Instead, Victoria Police said the stolen cards were used at a jewellery store in Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west, where $30,000 was spent.
‘I am a pensioner and it takes a long time to save money over the years,’ Bridgette shared.
Just three days later, a 73-year-old man fell victim to the exact same scheme.
He was told by someone pretending to be from his bank to follow the same process—place all his cards into an envelope in the letterbox.
By the time the cards were used at ATMs across three suburbs and at the same jewellery store as Bridgette’s, he was $45,000 out of pocket.
Victoria Police Detective Senior Constable Jack Aldersea said it was the first time his office had seen this kind of scam.
‘They prey on and take advantage of people that clearly don’t deserve it,’ he told the program.
‘Unfortunately, they seem to know or find out…people that are in this age bracket, and they target them.’
ScamWatch warned that letterbox scammers often pose as representatives from trusted organisations like banks or IT companies.
Authorities are urging people—especially older Australians—to hang up on unsolicited calls claiming to be from these institutions, and to verify any requests directly with their bank or service provider.
It only takes a momentary lapse in judgment for a scam to slip through the cracks, and the consequences can be more serious than you think.
In another case, a man learned this the hard way after receiving what looked like a legitimate email—only to find it was a trap.
Read more: 'I simply clicked the link': Man shares how one email put his Centrelink payments at risk
Losing hard-earned savings to a scam like this can be devastating—how can vulnerable Australians be better protected from such calculated deception?
