A traffic stop this morning has saved an elderly driver from becoming the victim of a scam.
About 11am on Monday 6 September, Eastern District patrols stopped a car after it was seen to perform an unauthorised turn onto King William Street in the CBD.
Police spoke to the driver, an 84-year-old man from North Adelaide, and educated him about the road rules.
When they asked him why he was in the city, he advised that he was looking for a specific bank to deposit a large amount of money.
A conversation with the man revealed he was in fact the victim of a scam after receiving a phone call from someone purporting to be from a major bank.
The scammer claimed he was from the fraud section of a major bank and two illegal transactions were made from his account. The man asked him if he would like to assist them and catch the criminals and requested he withdraw a large amount of cash and deposit into another account resulting in the arrests of the offenders.
Fortunately SAPOL officers altered him to the scam and no money was transferred.
Scammers often contact people by phone or on the internet – making it important to remember these tips to protect yourself:
* Hang up when someone you don't know calls
* If in doubt contact the institution from a phone number or website that you have located and were not directed to
* Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source
* Never send money online or transfer money to someone you haven't met in person.
For more information about how to protect yourself, please visit the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Scamwatch website: www.scamwatch.gov.au/get-help/protect-yourself-from-scams
