Mark Uytendaal lost his life savings in a fake AMP term deposit scam. His story is just the tip of the iceberg. Australian banking laws and weak consumer protections enable organised crime syndicates to plunder everyday Australians’ savings—money meant for homes, retirement, and looking after ageing parents. Banks allow these stolen funds to be laundered overseas, often never to be recovered. This episode dives into the shocking NSW Supreme Court case O’Brien v Supercheap Security. The case reveals how bank impersonation scams have become a powerful tool for transnational crime gangs, operating with impunity, while overwhelmed police and dispute resolution services struggle to keep up. Mark and his mother Kerry lost their dream duplex. Jo O’Brien had her $500,000 divorce settlement stolen. These victims took unprecedented legal action, initially suing NAB for hosting the fraudulent mule account in the name of Supercheap Security. They lost that action, but then took action against three defendants—Hassan Mehdi, Supercheap Security and NAB— to win the case, with the bank struck out to shield them from explaining what happened. Justice Nixon ordering Supercheap Security’s director, Hassan Mehdi, to repay the victims’ losses, interest, and legal costs. Here’s the kicker: Mehdi hasn’t paid a cent, owning no property in Australia and facing a bankruptcy process that could take years. The banks don’t have to pay a thing. Victorian Police can’t do a thing. Victims are left holding the (very empty) bag.

From gullible to guilty: how a work-from-home job scam stole $255,000 and turned a Melbourne mum into a money launderer for Chinese organised crime scammer, Neala. Discover the dark world of socially engineered job scams—a growing crisis costing victims billions. Discover how manipulative Neala used WhatsApp and deep knowledge of how Aussie banks work to steal from people she recruits through work-from-home job ads on Facebook. With insights from John Hempton, founder of Bronte Capital, this episode reveals the chilling truth about how fraud impacts financial markets, as well as people. Loveeta, a Melbourne mother who lost $255,000 to a fake remote job opportunity. What began as a promising way to support her family spiralled into financial and emotional devastation. Her story is just one part of a global cybercrime epidemic of mule accounts, WhatsApp groups, and social engineering tricks to deceive people.

Organised criminals are mimicking banks so convincingly that even finance professionals fall victim to their digital bank robberies. This gripping episode uncovers the extraordinary stories of Australians like Jacomi and David, who fought back against the odds to reclaim their stolen fortunes.

Jacomi is a finance professional conned out of $760K after her husband’s death. Her relentless pursuit—helped by media and a Treasury insider—led to a miraculous recovery.

David spent 5 years to recover $1M lost to a fraudulent investment scheme, exposing banks that ignored regulator warnings.

Despite the trauma, these victims uncovered systemic failures in fraud prevention, and their resilience is a wake-up call for us all. Learn how to protect yourself and uncover the flaws in Australia’s fight against financial crime.