"It was devastating": Grandfather loses $1 million in scam before his death
A "vulnerable" and "lonely" grandfather lost over $1 million in a complex scam in the months before he died, with his son now issuing a warning to others.
Adrian Heartsch was described by his family as a "frugal" man, who had no experience with online banking before becoming involved in the scam.
“Unless he knew exactly what he was paying for – he wouldn’t pay for it,” his son Simon Heartsch told A Current Affair.
“I said to him if somebody can scam you, they can scam anybody.”
He soon connected with someone online, who called themselves a woman named Vida and charmed him with sweet talk and pet names, and soon earned his trust.
“He wasn’t alone, but he was lonely. He had no company, he didn’t even have his dog anymore to talk to,” his son told ACA. “So I guess he’s vulnerable in that way.”
The woman convinced Mr Heartsch to send her several Apple gift cards, claiming he would be given over $20 million worth of gold bars or gold bullion in return.
She also promised the grandfather that she would come to Australia and live “happily ever after” with him.
Simon only discovered the truth about his father's finance and the long-running scam when Adrian landed in hospital.
“We brought up these emails that were just gobsmacking,” he said. “The story grew from $300,000 to $600,000 to up and up and up … over a million dollars.”
The ruse had been going on for three years, and saw Mr Heartsch buy up to $10,000 worth of Apple gift cards from several shops in a single day.
Simon said his father was “mortified” after learning the truth and didn’t want to pursue a case with the police.
The scam cost the 77-year-old almost everything, robbing him of his savings, truck and caravan, leaving him with only his home.
Shortly after, Mr Heartsch fell “sicker and sicker” as his health deteriorated, and he passed away a month after his family learned of the scam.
“It was like all this was the nail in the coffin, it was devastating for him, his whole life savings he’s lost,” said Simon.
Adrian's family went searching for answers, and with the help of a cyber security expert, discovered that the scammer was operating out of Ghana in West Africa.
Following his father’s death, Simon urged others to watch out for loved ones who may be vulnerable to “horrible” scammers.
“They’re ruining peoples’ lives. They’re speeding up people’s deaths,” he said. “They’re preying on the vulnerable.”
Image credits: A Current Affair