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Warning after elderly man falls victim to bank scam three times


An elderly Adelaide man has been the victim of a bank scam three times as part of more than $100 million stolen in scams last year.

Don Gill said he was confused when he and his wife came across a number of mystery transactions whilst looking at their bank statements.

“(It was) just over $100 but that’s more than I want to lose,” Mr Gills said.

Several more unexplained transactions showed up, which the couple traced back to a series of strange phone calls.

Don Gill, from Adelaide, has been duped three times by bank scammers. Source: 7 News
Don Gill, from Adelaide, has been duped three times by bank scammers. Source: 7 News

“I knew nothing about it – didn’t even know the telephone numbers,” he said.

“It is very concerning and very worrying too because we’ve had several [calls].”

Money had been siphoned from their accounts on several occasions.

Beyond Bank’s Nick May said people pretending to be from the Australian Taxation Office “are quite forceful” in their demands for tax file numbers and other information.

He added that some of the scammers pretend they are conducting surveys.

Mr Gill looks through his phone bill. He received a number of unusual calls. Source: 7 News
Mr Gill looks through his phone bill. He received a number of unusual calls. Source: 7 News

“If you’re not sure – ask them questions,” Mr May said.

The Crime and Corruption Commission’s Scamwatch tracker revealed Australians were duped out of almost $102 million last year, up from $90 million in 2017.

Some banks will reimburse customers, depending on the amount.

The advice is for people to call their financial institution as soon as they notice discrepancies to lock accounts and cancel cards.

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