Prize scam uncovered

By Melissa Meehan
TRUSTING elderly members of the community are being tricked into losing hundreds of dollars in a scam that offers them prizes, for a fee.
Kerene Whelan was paying her bills at the Pakenham Post Office last week, when an older lady who struggled with English asked her for help in filling out some Western Union paperwork.
“She wanted help so she could deposit a large sum of money to a guy who was raising funds for the floods in India,” Ms Whelan said.
“I asked her several times if she knew the person and she assured me that she did – I told her I didn’t understand the paperwork so went to the counter with her.”
When Ms Whelan and the woman got to the counter an Australia Post staff member told her she had already tried to explain to the woman that she believed it was a scam – and it took two more people to get her to believe them.
“She kept telling us she had never won anything before and was getting upset about it,” she said.
“We were able to get her to hand the partly filled form over and destroy it for her, but she still had the details written down in her bag, so I hope that it’s sunk in that it’s a scam.”
Ms Whelan said she was worried this woman was not the only one stung by the scam and said she hoped elderly citizens would ask friends and loved ones about donations that seemed a little questionable.