NAB customer Phillip Waller lost $10,000 to scammers pretending to be from Microsoft. (Credit: NAB/Getty)
An Australian retiree has revealed how he was duped out of $10,000 by a seemingly harmless message. The NAB customer is now warning others about the “sophisticated scam” which has already cost Australians millions of dollars this year.
Philip Waller received a message supposedly from “Microsoft” claiming that work needed to be done on his computer system. The 68-year-old Waller was given login details, which he entered into his computer, giving criminals access to his computer.
Waller said the scammers had called him and said they were in trouble for bank fraud. They claimed they needed his help to “catch someone at NAB” who had perpetrated the fraud.
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“They were incredibly persuasive and very professional,” Waller said. “They asked what my transaction limit was, which was $10,000, and since they had access to my computer, I paid that amount.”
The transfer triggered NAB’s fraud system, and NAB’s fraud analyst, Shivani Shukla, contacted Waller about the transaction.
Shukla said he could hear Waller talking to someone in the background during the call and quickly realised he was being scammed, “so I asked him to hang up straight away.”
NAB fraud analyst Shivani Shukla was able to block Waller’s account and recover $10,000. (Source: NAB)
When Waller realised she had been targeted by scammers, she said she felt “really stupid” and should have realised something was wrong.
Shukla said he blocked Waller’s account and contacted the receiving bank, allowing him to recover the $10,000.
“They tried to trick me again with a pop-up message, but I knew it was a scam,” Waller said.
“I am grateful to NAB for getting my money back. If the money had disappeared, I would have felt indebted to my family.”
Have you fallen victim to a bank scam? Contact us at tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com.
Lost $134 million to fraud
Australians have lost more than $134 million to scams this year, with more than $4.7 million of that being due to remote access fraud, according to Scamwatch data.
The story continues
Using clever emails, web-based pop-up messages and phone calls, scammers often impersonate well-known companies, such as Microsoft, to trick you into thinking there is an issue with your account, computer or phone that needs repair.
Chris Sheehan, head of research at NAB Group, said common warning signs of remote access scams include unexpected contact and a sense of urgency to complete a task.
“Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your banking, email and online accounts is a quick and easy way to protect yourself,” Sheehan said.
“An extra step, such as a password or one-time code, will be added to verify your identity when you log in.”
Australians urged to ‘remain vigilant’
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) is urging bank customers to “remain vigilant” for signs of scammers.
“Last year, financial losses to fraud fell by 13 per cent and action from governments and industries, including banks, is making a difference, but Australians still lose too much at the hands of scammers,” ABA CEO Anna Bligh said.
Ms Waller urged other Australians to be wary of unsolicited messages via phone, email or computer, and to “switch off your computer immediately”.
“Please restart your computer and contact the organisation directly with any further information you find,” he warned.
Banks will never:
Contacting you via unsolicited text messages or emails asking for account or personal information
Calling you and asking you to transfer funds to another account over the phone
Requesting your online banking passcode or password via email, text, or phone call
Request remote access to a device
Threatening to take immediate action on the issue.
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