Walter Vantilburg hunts down scammers after losing $14,000
- Walter Vantilburg discovered unauthorized transactions on his business credit card in September totaling $14,000.
- Bendigo Bank dismissed his concerns and implied he was at fault for sharing his credit card information.
- Vantilburg took action into his own hands by visiting stores and found video evidence of the fraud, highlighting the inadequacy of the bank's support.
In September, Walter Vantilburg, a 59-year-old arborist from Melbourne, discovered unauthorized transactions totaling $14,000 on his credit card while handling payroll for his tree cutting business. He noticed that several transactions were pending and immediately contacted Bendigo Bank in hopes of recovering his funds. However, he was met with indifference from the bank, which informed him that they could do little to assist him. They indicated that he was at fault, suggesting he had authorized the transactions by sharing his credit card details. Vantilburg found this response bewildering, as he had never disclosed his card information to anyone. After the concerning incident, he canceled his credit card and filed a report with the police, only to find that police required more details to proceed. Realizing that the bank’s lack of action and the police's need for clarity might hinder his chances of recovery, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Vantilburg personally contacted each of the five JB Hi-Fi stores where suspicious purchases were made. The first store he approached said there was nothing they could do, but they forwarded the information to their forensics team. To his benefit, a store manager revealed video footage of two individuals making the fraudulent purchases. The video uncovered that the crooks had bought high-ticket items, including three Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 phones, three Google Pixel 9 Pro phones, and an iPad Pro with Pencil, across the five locations. This footage provided Vantilburg with evidence that there were indeed unauthorized purchases made by someone else. His determination to seek justice highlighted his frustration not only with the scammers but also with the institutions he expected to assist him. Bendigo Bank, when approached for comments, refrained from commenting on individual customer situations while encouraging all customers to protect their financial information and be cautious about sharing passwords. They emphasized that recovering funds lost to scammers is a difficult, if not hopeless, process. Vantilburg's experience reflects a broader issue many face when dealing with fraud, where the burden of investigation and recovery often falls back on the victim instead of being adequately addressed by financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.