Couple loses life savings in bank scam that even tricked bank tellers

A Sunshine Coast couple have lost almost a quarter of a million dollars to a sophisticated scam that even got past professional bank tellers.

Kerry O’Mahony and Kerry Littlejohn were shopping around for the best interest rate on their term deposit when they came across one from ING Australia.

“I clicked on obtain a quote and within, I think, about a day or two of doing that we had a phone call from John Cook from ING,” O’Mahony said.

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So-called John Cook emailed through a competitive quote, documents, contracts and payment instructions using ING’s logos, but it was all fake.

The couple’s life savings were with Suncorp bank at the time, meaning they had to go into their local branch to withdraw the funds.

“He looked at [the emails] and then he said yeah, it looks alright but you know if you’re really concerned you can ring ING,” O’Mahony said.

O’Mahony claims she did call ING in front of the teller.

“[I] did a Google search for the ING contact number. [It] was exactly what I put in and it came up: 13 34 64,” she said.

“It is their phone number, but I rang it and I didn’t get through to ING, I got through directly to the scammers.”

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O’Mahony was unaware her phone had been spoofed by the scammers, meaning they had the ability to redirect her calls to pose as ING.

After the Suncorp teller approved the transaction, $240,000 was transferred directly to the scammers.

But there were telltale signs from the scammers that somehow were not spotted.

The couple gave Suncorp the account details for what they thought was an ING account — but it was a Commonwealth Bank account.

Additionally, the email address used by the scammers wasn’t an authorised ING email.

By the time the couple approached Commonwealth Bank about the scam, all of the money they had transferred was “well and truly” gone.

“[It was] taken out pretty much straightaway and then moved around the world through various IP addresses,” O’Mahony said.

The pair blame the scammers for what happened, but they said Suncorp had something to answer for.

“I just felt that [Suncorp’s] duty of care to us was sadly lacking,” O’Mahony said.

O’Mahony and Littlejohn have lodged a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

FULL SUNCORP BANK STATEMENT

This case is currently being reviewed by AFCA, the independent dispute resolution body for consumers with financial complaints.

Suncorp Bank is very supportive and will fully participate in this external review process.

Suncorp Bank understands the impact frauds and scams can have on individuals.

Alongside the banking industry, we are committed to implementing the measures outlined in the Scam-Safe Accord including account name checking for domestic payments.

FULL ING STATEMENT

Scams being deployed by criminal gangs are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

We continuously monitor for impersonation scams and make regular updates to warn people through our security page (ing.com.au/security), social media channels, app and direct emails to customers.

We also use these channels to educate customers and non-customers and about different types of scams and how they can protect themselves.

Our Stop, Reflect and Protect Guide on our website provides practical advice to help people avoid scams.

In addition, we work closely with the relevant government bodies to identify and disrupt this type of activity.

If someone is unsure if they’re dealing with ING, we encourage them to call us on our dedicated scams line: 1800 052 743.

FULL COMMONWEALTH BANK STATEMENT

CBA acknowledges the impact frauds and scams are having on customers and the community broadly.

Scammers typically put pressure on you to act very quickly or by preying on your emotions.

So it’s important to stop, check and reject.

If you are unsure about a transaction, particularly a high value one, take the extra time to consult a trusted family member or friend as a sounding board.

If you think you have been scammed or if you notice an unusual transaction, contact your bank immediately.

The best chance of recovering funds is when action is taken as soon as possible.

Once we have been made aware of a scam or fraud on an account we act as quickly as we can and we do our best to recover any funds.