Waine Sauermann lost his life savings to scammers who not only outsmarted him, but also his bank.
“It’s a well thought out scam, it’s brilliant the way they did it,” Sauermann said.
This isn’t a case where Sauermann should have known better.
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The father-of-two did everything in his power to protect his money.
“So how much did you lose?” I asked.
“I think I worked out like $27,380,” Sauermann said.
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Scammers were smarter than not only him but also his bank, Westpac.
He said the ordeal all started on a Friday.
“I got a text message that my card had been stopped because $700 had been taken out of my account,” Sauermann said.
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“I’ve checked my online banking straight away and noticed two $700 withdrawals.
“I thought I better go down to the bank.”
So Sauermann went to his local branch and claims he was told “your card’s not blocked, but we’ll block it anyway because this scam has happened and we’ll send you a new card within five to seven days”.
Seven days passed and Sauermann was still waiting on his new card.
“I’m thinking I’m going to have to go to the bank; get…
