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Last Updated : 2024-04-29 22:32:00
1 April 2024 08:09 pm - 13 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The woman went into the National Australia Bank to transfer the money to a person overseas who she said was her boyfriend.
But the employee, NAB Customer Advisor Dilan Pathirannahalage, was suspicious.
The woman, who was in her 60s, needed help sending the money when she went into the Cranbourne bank.
She said she didn't know the recipient's surname - and Pathirannahalage decided to probe further.
The woman scrolled through her text messages to find the name, and showed the thread to Pathirannahalage, who noticed very affectionate language.
"The messages were very lovey dovey, and looked like they were getting increasingly coercive," he said.
However the woman was adamant she needed to send the money to her "boyfriend" for medical treatment.
"She told me her boyfriend, who she met on social media, lived in Turkey and needed to fly to the UK for treatment, but his account had been frozen so was unable to receive the funds from her," Pathirannahalage said.
"He told her to instead send the money to his friend in Sydney who could then transfer him the money.
"The reason she didn't know who she was transferring the funds to was because she had never met the person on the other end of the line who she thought was her boyfriend, and so didn't know their friends either.
"Even though the holes in the scammer's story were clear to me, she was blinded by her love for him.
"These criminals are cunning and will prey on people's kindness to steal their money."
Meanwhile, after he took the woman into a private room, the scammer actually phoned her about the money.
He contacted the bank's fraud team to investigate- but also had to convince the woman she was being scammed.
"I said 'I would never do this if I were you. I believe you are being scammed'," he said.
"In the moment, customers don't see you as someone protecting them from losing their money. You are the person who is breaking their heart.
"She was thankful for me intervening with the transaction, which had saved her from losing a whole paycheque."
He warned anybody unsure of sending money to anybody to just ask for help.
NAB customer reports of romance scams are up almost 30 per cent since last year the bank said.
Scamwatch estimates Australians lost $33 million to romance and friendship scams last year, NAB Executive of Group Investigations Chris Sheehan said it was vital Australians know how to recognise the red flags.
"These scams can have a devastating impact – both financial and emotional – and we see people of all ages, genders and demographics targeted," Mr Sheehan, a former Australian Federal Police executive, said
"While many Aussies now start long and successful relationships online, it is vital to know how to recognise a potential partner from a scammer.
"Romance and friendship scams re-enforce the need for a co-ordinated, national approach to the scam epidemic, given many start on dating apps, social media platforms or messaging apps."
Cloy Monday, 01 April 2024 08:34 PM
Surely an Nagananda fan in Australia now turned to be an AKD fan who contributed thousands in dollars to him few years back.
johan Monday, 01 April 2024 11:16 PM
What about the bond scam,sugar scam,Coconut oil scam in SL
Raj Monday, 01 April 2024 11:41 PM
Dont know what you are talking about, but know for sure that the masses' love for AKD is also entirely on sweet talk and on no other basis.
Janice Williams Tuesday, 02 April 2024 04:01 AM
What about not being a MR fan but yet ending up being scammed for a couple of generations? Which lot did you fall into?
sneha Tuesday, 02 April 2024 06:14 AM
Cloy, dude u drunk?
Dee Monday, 01 April 2024 08:46 PM
These people never learn! Should have allowed to transfer. Remember there was a similar old lady from UK who was in ‘Love’ with a married boy from down south and brought him busses, house and eventually lost everything she had. Probably she’s at it again! They never learn! Sad though!
Shera Tuesday, 02 April 2024 12:32 AM
Excellent work! Not only did he help her but he saved his job and the bank from a potential lawsuit. The elderly victims blame the bank thereafter for allowing the transaction to proceed. Many documentaries on YouTube for elderly to watch. Banks should give them a copy of such videos to every account holder. Victims are blinded indeed by this false love from a voice on the phone. The victims are vulnerable because they are lonely elderly souls. If more people watch out for each other in this world these senior citizens will not be so desperate.
Ram Tuesday, 02 April 2024 03:03 AM
Banks have a responsibility to block if these transactions are made online and speak to the customer getting the customer to the Bank. Once the Bank blocked my Credit Card for having used it to purchase an item of gold when the seller business was in a suspicious city
Nimal Tuesday, 02 April 2024 05:16 AM
He is not a Sri Lankan bank teller but an Australian bank teller; an Australian bank teller, originally from SL. Why do these things always get reported as Sri Lankan did this and that. Just because he had a Sri Lankan name and was originally from Sri Lanka, it does not mean he was a Sri Lankan bank teller?
Hayden Tuesday, 02 April 2024 05:31 PM
Very true. He is an Aussie bloke mate. His nationality is Australian
Jayaratne Tuesday, 02 April 2024 12:25 PM
Why do uou say he is Sri Lankan? Because of the name? It's kind of offensive. He is probably Australian.
ANNECUNT Tuesday, 02 April 2024 12:43 PM
may be a minister in our parliament , even Sarath Nisanthas wife wants to be a minister, she knows where easy money is
Red Reddo Tuesday, 02 April 2024 03:13 PM
There's a guy named Namal R in Sri Lanka who scammed, money laundered, got a bribe and bought a very expensive property in Barnes Place, Colombo. I doubt if the stamp duty was ever paid. His affordability was never questioned by the Income Tax Department. Australian TV chanel ABC revealed this fraudulance with proof. The bribery folks, police and income tax scoopers only come after us, the taxpayers. It's shameful and infuriating. We are helpless and a frustrated public.
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