UPDATE: A 79-year-old retiree from Meadow Springs has fallen victim to an elaborate online shopping scam, losing a staggering $50,000 while searching for a motor-home for her family. Alida Peacock’s heartbreaking experience serves as a dire warning for bargain hunters this festive season.
In an urgent plea, Peacock is urging others to stay vigilant after she spent hours last month searching for her family’s dream motor-home online. She discovered a seemingly legitimate Melbourne-based business, which she cannot name due to legal reasons. After engaging with the business, Peacock felt confident enough to proceed with the purchase of a 2018 KEA River motor-home.
Peacock made three substantial payments via bank transfer totaling $50,700. Following her payments, she received a tracking number and was assured that the motor-home would be trucked over from Dubbo, NSW. However, her excitement was short-lived.
After the promised delivery date passed, Peacock began to suspect something was amiss when she was informed that the courier truck had broken down. Frustrated, she attempted to contact the business, which continued to assure her of impending delivery. Ultimately, the motor-home never arrived.
“When it didn’t arrive, I rang him… All the paperwork was there; it’s a very good scam. It’s not just a couple of dollars, $50,000 is a lot of money,” said Peacock.
Peacock’s situation is not isolated. According to the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety, West Australians have lost nearly $466,000 to shopping scams this year alone. In particular, $294,167 was lost through online marketplaces, while $165,791 was swindled via online shopping scams.
Bankwest’s head of customer trust and security, Phillipa Costanzo, warns that online shopping scams are growing increasingly sophisticated. “Scammers are using fake websites and ads that replicate genuine sites very well,” she stated. “We encourage consumers to verify URLs directly rather than through links.”
The urgency of this warning is amplified by recent data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which revealed that Australians lost up to $260 million to scams in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 16 percent increase from the previous year.
ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe indicated that shoppers must be particularly cautious during high-pressure sales events like Black Friday. “Scammers often target these sales because consumers are eager to find the best deals,” Lowe noted.
Peacock’s devastating loss highlights the critical need for online shoppers to remain alert, especially during the festive season. “I’m devastated because that’s all the money we had left to buy a motor-home, and we can’t go anywhere now,” she expressed, urging others not to fall prey to similar scams.
In light of these alarming trends, consumers are reminded to take their time, verify the legitimacy of websites, and exercise caution when sharing personal or financial information online. The lesson is clear: vigilance is essential to avoid becoming the next victim in an increasingly dangerous online shopping landscape.
As the festive season approaches, shoppers are advised to remain cautious and aware of the potential pitfalls of online shopping, ensuring they protect their hard-earned money from fraudsters.
