Above: Detective Senior Constable Matthew Lavery-Stephens talks to the media about the deception of an elderly Dandenong woman. 69458
By Nicole Williams
EMBARRASSED and deceived, a Dandenong pensioner has been fleeced of thousands of dollars by a group of fake maintenance workers.
The 91-year-old woman was in the yard of her David Street home on the morning of 12 August when three or four men approached her.
Detective Senior Constable Matthew Lavery-Stephens from Greater Dandenong Crime Investigation Unit said the men told her they were doing maintenance in the area and her house needed repairs.
“The youths have posed as workers, conducting work in the area,” Det Sen Const Lavery-Stephens said.
“They’ve offered to do work on the premises for a large sum of money and requested a deposit.”
When the women told them she didn’t have that money on hand, the youths drove her to the bank to withdraw $8000 – she hasn’t seen them since they dropped her back at her house.
The elderly woman did not report the incident immediately because she was embarrassed to have been fleeced of so much money.
Det Sen Const Lavery-Stephens said the offence was deceptive and unacceptable.
“She is distraught at losing so much money but I think it is more upsetting that she has been deceived by people that she trusted,” he said.
“The act sickens me that they would take a person of her age and use her trusting nature against her.”
“A lot of older members of the community feel embarrassed to have been deceived,” Det Sen Const Lavery-Stephens said.
“The nature of these people is to build trust and deceive you.”
Images have been released of one of the men who allegedly accompanied the woman to the bank and police hope to identify him, along with others involved.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Greater Dandenong CIU on 9767 7487 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
