Retiree launches her anti-scammer mission
The banking ombudsman has thrown its weight behind a Manawatu¯ retiree’s efforts to warn the elderly about the kind of scam that almost left her destitute.
Margaret Taylor, 78, said she’d made it her mission to give educational talks in rest homes to ensure nobody else was caught out like she was in March.
A caller claimed to work for internet service provider Slingshot, and knew all the right details to prove it. He said her account had been hacked and he needed access to her computer to stop it.
The scammer took more than $5000 from her accounts and credit cards. Luckily, her flatmate realised what was happening and they caught it early enough for the bank to reverse the transaction.
Taylor gave her first talk since the banking ombudsman came on board at the Metlifecare Retirement Village in Palmerston North yesterday.
The ombudsman supplied Taylor with brochures, fliers and educational materials to hand out – as well as posters to help advertise her talks.
Taylor told the residents how it was easy to think you’d never fall for a scam – but anyone could. The scammers hit victims with dire warnings of jail, or hackers stealing everything, or massive fines.
‘‘Then once they’ve got you whipped into a panic, they manipulate you into thinking they’re your friend and saviour.’’
Taylor said the best defence was to just hang up.
Deputy banking ombudsman Tina Mitchell said the ombudsman wanted to support her efforts.
‘‘The scammers count on people not talking about it because of the embarrassment, so people don’t catch on.’’
Mitchell said New Zealand was being swamped by a rising tide of scam calls and emails, largely targeting over-55-year-olds.
There’s been a 114 per cent increase in complaints to the ombudsman about scams in the six months to April, compared with the same time last year.