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Letting go of our family home was the next heartbreak.
The remaining $1.6 million was to go into a conservative fixed-term deposit. Safe and sensible — or so I thought.
Harriet’s late parents. Source: Supplied
Shortly after the house sold, I received a phone call.
He offered a fixed-term deposit with a decent rate. I checked with my family, and we agreed to proceed.
‘No reason to doubt’
He walked me through it all and even read a legal disclaimer aloud — I agreed. I had never done a term deposit before and had no reason to doubt I was dealing with my bank.
That’s the moment I found out the $1.6 million was gone.
A ‘mule’ account
I felt sick. Not just from the loss, but from the feeling of betrayal I felt of the systems that are meant to financially protect us.
Now, I believe it’s likely funding something horrific.
Harriet’s mother when she was younger. Source: Supplied
Mum died last year at 95, thankfully never knowing about all this.
I feel frustrated that I haven’t been able to get clarity on what exactly happened or where the money went.
‘How could I have fallen for this?’
I think there needs to be more external regulation of our banks — especially in an age when scams are increasingly malicious and are harder to recognise.
Above all, we want a seat at the table.
