Cyber fraud short stories
John's story: a financial scam
John is a pensioner living in Queensland. He had worked hard all his life and saved up a decent amount of superannuation. One day, John received a call from a man named David who claimed to be a financial adviser. David convinced John that he could help John grow his superannuation investment.
Though initially doubtful, John found David very persuasive. David promised him high returns with little risk. So, John transferred some of his superannuation savings into a new investment account set up by David. At first, everything seemed fine. John received regular statements showing his investment was growing.
But then, the statements stopped coming. John tried to contact David, but when he couldn't, John started to worry. He realised that he had been scammed. He had lost a significant amount of his superannuation savings.
John was devastated. His superannuation fund and the Queensland Police Service worked with him to recover part of his lost super, but a large amount of his money was lost forever.
Tips to avoid financial scams
- Stop – don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure.
- Think – ask yourself could the message or call be fake?
- Protect – act quickly if something feels wrong.
Find out more about scams.
Victoria's story: a romance scam
Victoria, who lives in Queensland, had recently gone through a divorce and was eager to find love again. She received a message on a dating website from a man named Michael. He seemed to be the perfect match. Good-looking, charming and he shared many of Victoria's interests and dreams. They started chatting every day and Victoria quickly fell for Michael.
After a few weeks, Victoria found out that Michael actually lived in the United States but planned to move to Australia to be with her. He just needed some money to cover his moving costs. Wanting to help, Victoria sent him some money. Michael was grateful and promised to pay her back once he got to Australia.
Later on, Michael claimed he got arrested at the Australian airport due to immigration issues and needed money to pay a fine and be released. Worried about him, Victoria sent him more money. Michael was freed from jail and promised to meet Victoria soon. But he never showed up. Victoria tried to reach out to him, but he stopped responding. That's when she realized she had been scammed.
Warning signs that it might be a romance scam
- They express strong feelings, and the relationship moves fast.
- You are made to feel special quickly.
- They will try and move the conversation offsite, e.g. WhatsApp.
- They may influence you to only trust them, and try to isolate you from your family and friends.
- There will always be an excuse why they can’t meet in person or show themselves on camera.
Find out more about romance scams.
Mary's story: a text scam
Mary, a mother of two living in Queensland, has a busy schedule with little spare time. One day, she got a text from her son saying he was in trouble and needed $2,000 urgently. Worried, Mary quickly sent the money to the account provided in the text.
Shortly after, she received another text from her son saying he was okay now and would repay her soon. Relieved, Mary didn't think much about it. The next day, she got another text asking for more money. This time, Mary grew suspicious and contacted her son, only to find out he hadn't sent any texts.
Realizing she'd been tricked, Mary was devastated. She lost $2,000 and felt emotionally hurt by the scam.
Tips to avoid text scams
- Be wary if the text urges you to take immediate action.
- Don’t transfer money to an unknown account.
- Don’t click a link or call a number provided in the message.
- Block the number and report the scam.
Find out more about text scams.
If you have been scammed, you’re not alone, report the scam straight away through SCAMWATCH.