A retired woman from Perth's southern suburbs is issuing a stark warning to fellow bargain hunters after losing her entire $50,000 savings to a convincing online scam, shattering her dream of a lifetime trip around Australia.
A Dream Purchase Turns Into a Nightmare
Alida Peacock, 79, invested hours last month searching Google and Gumtree for the perfect motorhome for her family's big adventure. Her search led her to what appeared to be a legitimate Melbourne-based business selling new and pre-owned vehicles. The website seemed completely authentic, so much so that Ms Peacock even asked her son to contact the seller by phone.
"It didn't look dodgy at all," Ms Peacock recalled. The person on the phone confidently confirmed the availability of the motorhomes, asking which model she preferred. Reassured, Ms Peacock proceeded to buy a 2018 KEA River motor-home, making three separate bank transfers totalling $50,700.
The Elaborate Illusion Unravels
The company provided a tracking number and informed her that the motorhome would be trucked to her from Dubbo, in NSW. However, the warning signs soon appeared when she was told the courier truck had broken down. Despite repeated assurances from the business that the vehicle was simply delayed and en route, it never arrived.
"When it didn't arrive, I rang him... he came back to me with an email to say, '(the truck) was broken, it will come,'" she said. By the time she realised she had been swindled, it was too late. "We reported it everywhere... but the money was gone," a heartbroken Ms Peacock stated. "All the paperwork was there; it's a very good scam."
A Soaring Problem for West Australians
Ms Peacock's devastating loss is not an isolated incident. New data from the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety reveals that West Australians have lost nearly $466,000 to shopping scams this year alone. Of this, $294,167 was stolen through online marketplaces, while a further $165,791 was lost in other online shopping scams.
Phillipa Costanzo, Head of Customer Trust and Security at Bankwest, confirmed that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. "We know that they're increasingly using fake websites and ads, and the fake sites can replicate genuine sites very, very well," she said. Scammers often use SMS or social media links promoting heavily discounted items and create a false sense of urgency with limited-time offers or countdown timers.
This warning comes as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that Australians lost a staggering $260 million to scams in the first nine months of 2025, a 16 per cent increase from the same period in 2024. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe emphasised that scammers often target high-sales periods like Black Friday, capitalising on the pressure to find a good deal.
For Alida Peacock of Meadow Springs, the financial and emotional damage is profound. "I'm devastated because that's all the money we had left to buy a motorhome, and we can't go anywhere now," she said. Her urgent plea to other shoppers is simple: stay vigilant. "If we can shut them down, at least nobody else will get caught."
