One phone call from a quick-thinking Westpac employee has left a customer losing an eye-watering $1.2 million deposit to scammers.
The Westpac customer purchased the property through a trusted conveyancer he had previously dealt with when his email account was targeted by cybercriminals in a payment diversion scam.
“He had used the conveyancer before and was settling on a property, so he was expecting an email from her with instructions on transferring money for the settlement,” Westpac Private Wealth banker Diane Zhou said. 7News.
Ms Zhou said the customer received an email from who he thought was his carrier with payment instructions.
“He was busy and had assured me that the information sent by his carrier was legitimate – received via email from the correct carrier email address at approximately the right time close to the settlement date.”
Although the man was convinced the email was legitimate, Ms. Zhou offered to call the carrier to double-check the details.
“When I spoke to the carrier, I was shocked to learn that she never sent the customer an email with payment instructions and that the bank account information in the email was not hers,” Ms. Zhou said.
Westpac Private Wealth banker Diane Zhou (pictured) saved a client from scam with a $1.2 million deposit for a new property
The carrier told Ms. Zhou that several fraudulent emails were distributed from her office after her account was compromised.
Ms. Zhou’s dedication has saved the client $1.2 million, and she urges everyone to double-check records before a major transfer, even if the invoices appear to have been sent from a trusted source.
“I’m glad I was able to help protect my client’s money – and I hope by telling people about this story we can save others from losing money to scams,” Ms Zhou said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) advises if you have been targeted by a scammer to contact your bank immediately.
She also advises seeking support from the national identity and cyber support service IDCARE and report the scam Scamwatch.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) advises if you have been targeted by a scammer to contact your bank immediately (pictured, Westpac in Sydney)