A telephone caller impersonating staff from a major Australian bank conned an elderly South Coast woman of her account number, password and $4000 in gift cards before the attempt was stopped through the combined action of a frontline care worker and bank fraud protection systems.
HammondCare Home Care team member Tara Greenwood has been recognised with the organisation’s Mission in Action award for her decisive action that saved her client, who has asked not to be identified, from financial loss.
ANZ, the client’s bank, has also acknowledged Tara’s work and the significant role aged care workers play to protect older people from fraudsters.
ANZ advises customers to hang up immediately if any call seems suspicious and to contact the bank directly using official contact details. The bank will never ask for passwords, request remote access to a computer, or seek payment via gift cards.
Tara, 45, of Nowra, said something seemed odd when she arrived at the client’s home in July last year for a regular service visit to see her client on the landline telephone with her laptop open.
With permission from the client, Tara intervened in the call and then quickly hung up when it was obvious it was a scam. “The caller tried to get me to continue to arrange the gift cards,” she said.
The couple were expecting a callback from the bank, after lodging an earlier enquiry on financial matter, so they were convinced the call was genuine.
Tara said: “I was so worried about the call I went straight to the local ANZ branch to check if the call was genuine. They said it was likely a scammer.”
Tara discussed the call with ANZ’s cyber security and fraud department and also escalated her concerns to her HammondCare Home Care team leader, demonstrating how collaboration between banks and aged care workers can prevent scams from progressing.
ANZ’s Falcon fraud detection technology then automatically declined three unauthorised transactions, ensuring no financial loss was incurred by the customer.
HammondCare Mission in Action awards celebrate staff members who go above and beyond in their dedication to the organisation's mission of improving the quality of life for people in need.
HammondCare Executive General Manager Home Care Marcela Carrasco praised Tara’s attentiveness and concern for her client’s welfare.
“Her actions likely prevented significant financial harm. She showed that care is not just about completing tasks but about noticing, acting and protecting the people we serve,” Ms Carrasco said.
The National Anti-Scam Centre, part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, reports people aged 65 and over were easily the largest age group to be victims of scams in 2025.
There were 41,654 reports valued at $84.6 million in the 12-month period for people 65 and over, according to statistics on its Scamwatch website. The median loss was $716.
