NAB banker Sharon stopped a customer from withdrawing $100,000 from his retirement account after noticing red flags with the transaction. (Source: NAB) <\/p>\n
A Melbourne man has been saved from losing $100,000 to a scammer<\/a> after his banker noticed a few telling \u201cred flags\u201d. NAB banker<\/a> Sharon said she immediately knew something was off<\/a> when customer Bruce* walked into the Hoppers Crossing branch one Saturday morning with another man in tow.<\/p>\n Bruce planned to withdraw $100,000 from his retirement account<\/a> to invest it in a scheme<\/a> that supposedly offered a 15 per cent return. The man with him, Simon*, claimed to be a business associate but brushed off Sharon\u2019s questions about their relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cSimon did all the talking. He wouldn\u2019t let Bruce speak. That was another red flag<\/a>,\u201d Sharon said.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/strong><\/p>\n Sharon said Simon had laid out documents, including a \u2018contract\u2019, and had urged Bruce to sign them and rush the transaction through.<\/p>\n While Bruce was normally relaxed and chatty, Sharon said this time he seemed \u201ctense and almost unsure\u201d.<\/p>\n With red flags<\/a> starting to pile up, Sharon said she was on high alert.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked more questions, like whether Bruce had Internet Banking set up, which he didn\u2019t. He also didn\u2019t have a driver\u2019s licence with him, which we need for this type of transaction. Two more red flags,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Sharon then told the pair the withdrawal couldn\u2019t proceed<\/a> \u201cbecause the legitimacy of the transaction couldn\u2019t be verified\u201d.<\/p>\n This led Simon to become agitated, and he left the bank.<\/p>\n Three weeks later, Bruce returned to the branch and thanked Sharon for her vigilance.<\/p>\n Do you have a scam story to share? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com<\/strong><\/p>\n Aussies lost about $174 million to scams<\/a> in the first half of this year, with more than 108,000 scams reported to the National Anti-Scam Centre\u2019s Scamwatch service.<\/p>\n Losses related to phishing scams made up $19.5 million of losses.<\/p>\n This was driven partly by a rise in cryptocurrency scams<\/a>.<\/p>\n NAB executive group investigations Chris Sheehan said investment scams<\/a>, like the one Bruce was involved in, often promised quick, higher returns with minimal risks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile most scams start with a phone call, text message or on social media, there are rare instances, like this where the scammer is physically present. This reflects just how far these organised criminals will go to rip people off,\u201d Sheehan, a former Australian Federal Police executive, said.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n \u201cWhen something like this occurs with a criminal coming into a branch to pressure a customer, we may refer it for further investigation. This can include sharing information with law enforcement agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n Sheehan said investment scams<\/a> reported by customers in the year to June 30, 2025, had dropped 21 per cent, but they remained the top scam impacting customers by dollar amount.<\/p>\n NAB announced it would now require new customers to take a selfie<\/a> as part of a new process when opening an account or product online.<\/p>\n This is aimed at reducing fraud like identity theft.<\/p>\n Australian banks rolled out a new confirmation of payee feature<\/a> this year, which will alert customers transferring money to a new account if the name entered doesn\u2019t match the details held by the receiving bank.<\/p>\n *Names changed for privacy <\/p>\n Get the latest Yahoo Finance news – follow us on <\/strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a> and <\/strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n NAB executive Chris Sheehan said investment scams often involved social media or online marketplaces. (Source: NAB\/Getty) <\/p>\n