A Victorian woman with stage four breast cancer has had her life savings stolen by a cruel scammer who made her believe there was a problem with her PayPal.
Carolyn Coster, from West Gippsland, was given the heartbreaking news that her cancer had spread to her bones during a visit to LaTrobe Regional Hospital just a few days before Christmas.
After returning home from hospital, the devastated 58-year-old received a call from an unknown number in Sydney.
The caller identified himself as ‘Robert Brown’ and told Ms Coster there was a problem with her PayPal account.
The scammer told Ms Coster that PayPal had ‘scammed’ her and asked for her bank account details so he could resolve the issue.
Carolyn Coster, from West Gippsland, was given the heartbreaking news that her cancer had spread to her bones during a visit to LaTrobe Regional Hospital just a few days before Christmas.
Mrs Coster’s friend Marg Thomson said the ‘malicious’ scammer preyed on a sick woman’s vulnerability.
She explained that a few months earlier, Ms. Coster had received a scam email claiming a fraudulent transaction had taken place with her PayPal, leading her to believe the call was legitimate.
The scammer called back several times over the next few days before Coster gave him her Bendigo Bank account number and PIN.
Mrs Coster checked her bank account on December 30 and discovered that her entire savings of $5,000 had been stolen.
Mrs Thomson, who started with a GoFundMe for Mrs Coster, said her friend planned to use the money to move into a cottage where she could live for the rest of her life.
“My friend wanted to use the money to help her move to a small house in a quiet area where she could spend the rest of her life in peace,” Ms Thomson wrote.
“Now even this is under threat because she needs the money to pay the rent and deposit in advance.”
As of press time, the GoFundMe page has received 33 donations totaling $3,055.
It is understood Bendigo Bank will reimburse Coster for the amount the scammer lost.
Last year, Aussies reported more than 99,700 cases of phishing scams, which cost victims more than $22.5 million, according to the ACCC’s Scamwatch.
More than $14.2 million was lost through phone call phishing scams, with approximately 43,000 victims over 55 years old.