A war veteran was allegedly scammed out of $18,000 by a teenager posing as a Commonwealth Bank security officer.
The nightmare for Shane Arnold, 71, began in October last year when he received a fake email from an account posing as Netflix, telling him he was owed a refund and needed to enter his personal details.
Kahlid Mahamud, 19, from Braybrook, in Melbourne’s west, reportedly called Mr Arnold, posing as a CBA employee, the next day.
He allegedly told the grandfather that his bank accounts had been hacked and that he had to put his bank cards in a bag, which would then be picked up by a driver.
Shane Arnold, 71, allegedly stole $18,000 from a teenager posing as a Commonwealth Bank security guard
Mr. Arnold told it Nine news the scammer was ‘very convincing’ and spoke with an English accent.
Mahamud is said to have used artificial intelligence to disguise his voice.
‘I worked fifty years to get that money. He confiscated it in a day,” Mr. Arnold said.
“It felt like my heart was being ripped out.”
After Mr. Arnold ditched his bank cards, Mahamud went on a massive shopping spree.
He is said to have withdrawn thousands of dollars from ATMs in Melbourne, as well as buying PlayStation and Apple gift cards at a Kmart in Moonee Ponds.
Mahamud is also alleged to have stolen fuel from an Ampol in Footscray, along with strawberry milk and Magnum ice cream, according to court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia.
He also reportedly bought a new iPhone for $2,849.
Mahamud has been charged with acquiring property dishonestly, attempting to obtain property by deception, obtaining property by deception and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
When Mahamud, wearing a black Nike tracksuit, was confronted by a Nine News reporter outside court earlier this month, he laughed.
Mr Arnold said CBA had reimbursed him $1,000.
“CBA recognizes the financial and emotional toll scams have on customers and the community,” a CBA spokesperson said.
‘Scammers pose as well-known companies to trick you into sharing your personal information.’
Kahlid Mahamud, 19, has been charged in connection with the incident and was seen laughing outside court earlier this month
The spokesperson urged customers to verify the organization’s identity by calling them directly from an independently verified number.
CBA has also launched a new fraud detection initiative called CallerCheck.
This feature allows customers to verify that a caller claiming to be from CBA is legitimate by triggering a security message in the CommBank app.
“We assess scams on a case-by-case basis, but it is widely recognized that scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated,” the spokesperson said.
“CBA encourages people to be vigilant when asked to send money and adopt Stop. Bill. Reject. when assessing payment requests.
‘If you think you have been scammed, or if you notice or have not made an unusual transaction, contact your bank immediately.
“Mr Arnold’s case is currently being managed by the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). CBA is actively involved in the AFCA complaints process.”