Barbara thought it was safe to use the public WiFi to make an online purchase… then she checked her bank account

A woman has had her life savings stolen by scammers who managed to hack her account after she used public WiFi to make an online purchase. 

Victorian woman Barbara Turner, 54, was shocked after discovering her money was gone when she logged into her ING Bank app last Wednesday.

Ms Turner had spent months saving the money for her upcoming knee surgery. 

‘I was in shock to see that everything was gone – just like that,’ she wrote in a GoFundMe.

‘It’s hard to put into words how I feel. You hear stories about scams, but when it happens to you or someone you care about, it’s a whole different reality. 

‘Right now, I’m left with nothing.’

Thousands of dollars were drained from her account and Ms Turner claimed ING  could do little to help her.

With her knee surgery scheduled for the end of the month and quickly approaching, she turned to GoFundMe for help. 

Barbara Turner (pictured) lost thousands of dollars to an online scam just weeks before her upcoming knee surgery

‘I have important appointments coming up and surgery soon that I’ve been saving for, but now all the money I had for medical expenses, physical therapy, and even basic needs like gas and food has vanished,’ she said.

Ms Turner told the Herald Sun the scam transaction appeared under Ace Money Transfer, an international money transfer company.

‘I just feel violated and scared, it’s a really scary feeling. I want everyone to be wary, be careful online and don’t shop on public wifi, it’s not safe,’ she said. 

The nurse said she reached out to her bank for help but was only offered a $150 credit for phone security checks. 

‘It’s hard enough with the cost of living the way it is. Everyone is struggling. Our money is supposed to be safe in the bank, and it is not,’ she said.

A daughter of Ms Turner’s friend helped her create the GoFundMe page, which had raised $250 as of Wednesday afternoon.

‘I have an appointment in Melbourne on January 30 at the Alfred Hospital, and since I live six hours away, I now don’t even have the funds to cover travel expenses like petrol and parking,’ she wrote.

‘If anyone could donate even a little to help me get by, I would be incredibly grateful. I know times are tough for many people, so if you can’t donate, please consider sharing this page.’ 

More than $24million was lost by Victorians over the age of 45 to online scams in 2024, ScamWatch reported.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk