20/11/2025
Castlemaine coppers didn’t just catch a scammer on Sunday morning – they snatched him right as he was allegedly about to fleece a poor old lass of ten grand.
The bloke rocked up to a house on Lawrence Park Drive thinking he was about to score an easy payday, swagger and all, claiming he was there to “collect tax money” for some dodgy crypto nonsense.
What he didn’t know, though, was that a family member had already clocked the situation. They realised Grandma – in her 80s – was being played like a pokie machine, and tipped off the local law enforcement that this degenerate was on his way.
By the time he strutted up the driveway, the boys in blue were already there waiting, catching him mid-scam, mid-lie, mid-idiocy. And here’s the kicker – turns out the lowlife had already allegedly squeezed forty grand out of her before this little stunt.
He turned out to be 52-years-old, resides in Skye – between Frankston and Cranbourne – and will be charged on summons, with cops saying the investigation is still grinding on.
Sergeant Debra Graham from Castlemaine Police said scammers are getting slicker, nastier, and way too good at pretending to be legit – emails, texts, calls, all dressed up to fool people who shouldn’t have to second-guess every message they receive.
She warned people to slow down, double check, and never hand over personal info unless you’re absolutely sure it’s real. No random links, no “urgent payments,” no “the ATO threw a fit and wants your crypto immediately.”
If something feels off, she says, trust your gut, ask someone, get advice, call police. Better embarrassed than broke. Better cautious than conned. And better to slam the door on scum like this before they get anywhere near your bank account.
