A 95-year-old man has been swindled out of nearly $10,000 by heartless scammers in Melbourne.
Police believe the man received a phone call from a person pretending to be from Telstra on September 19.
The scammer convinced him to provide his banking details and instructed him to leave his credit and debit cards in a letter box, assuring him they would be reissued at a later date.
“The most concerning thing for us is he’s [the scammer] actually come to the house and taken his cards from the letterbox as well,” Victoria Police Detective Leading Senior Constable Aaron Gillies said.
“It’s just heartless. It’s low and heartless.”
Police said the scammer stole the victim’s cards and used them to purchase four new iPhones, worth $9000.
The phones were bought at stores in Malvern East and Chadstone.
“They didn’t check the name on the front of the card, they didn’t check the signature on the back with a verified photo ID,” the victim’s son Murray told 9News.
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The thief also attempted to purchase $4500 worth of electronics at another store in Chadstone but the payment was declined, according to police.
Detectives said the man attempted to withdraw money using the elderly man’s cards at ATMs on High Street in Ashburton and Hamilton Place in Mount Waverley.
These transactions were similarly declined.
Murray told 9News the scam has “shattered” his father.
“He’s been such an independent person all of his life,” Murray said.
“This isn’t just an invasion of his privacy, it’s just a complete upending of what he thinks should be normal.”
Police have released images of a man that they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.
