A Wangi Wangi woman has recounted the terrifying moment a team of alleged scammers stole more than $14,000 from her in a brazen daylight robbery at a busy shopping centre car park.
The Perfect Storm in a Morisset Car Park
Libby Taylor, 64, had just arrived to do her grocery shopping at Morisset shopping centre on Tuesday morning, January 6, 2026. As she parked her car in the Coles car park, a well-dressed man approached her vehicle.
"I finished parking my car and was collecting my handbag and keys when a bloke came to the front of my car," Ms Taylor said. "I wound down my window to see what was up."
Despite a career in cyber security and IT, Ms Taylor said she was caught off guard. The man was clean-shaven, nicely dressed, and the car park was full of people, making her feel safe. He claimed there were wires hanging from her engine and identified himself as a mechanic.
"The reason my hackles didn't go up was he could have been your next door neighbour," she said. "It was kind of the perfect storm, I was busy and in a hurry and I was obviously targeted."
A Distraction Theft and Rapid Bank Fraud
When Ms Taylor lifted the bonnet to inspect the supposed problem, a second man allegedly stole her wallet from the vehicle. The theft was so swift and discreet that she remained unaware.
The alleged scammers then moved with alarming speed, transferring $14,800 from one of her bank accounts within 15 to 20 minutes.
Ms Taylor only realised something was wrong when her car's rear door alarm sounded as she prepared to drive away. Simultaneously, she began receiving messages from her bank.
"I got a message from the bank which I thought was a scam message because it said a $400 payment had been declined," she explained. Upon checking her accounts, she discovered multiple transactions, with thousands of dollars transferred to accounts in Dubai.
Ms Taylor expressed disappointment that her bank did not block or flag the suspicious transactions sooner.
Police Action and Community Backlash
Following the incident, Ms Taylor posted a warning on a community Facebook page. While her post was shared widely, she also faced unexpected criticism from online "keyboard warriors."
"I said in the post that I did feel a bit foolish. I was just trying to warn others and get awareness out there," Ms Taylor said. "The keyboard warriors were quite disgusting. I got smashed but at least there were a lot of shares so maybe some people could be warned."
Her experience was not isolated. On Thursday, January 9, NSW Police confirmed they had charged two men and were searching for two more in connection with multiple reports of older drivers being targeted in shopping centre car parks across the state.
The scam has been reported in Newcastle, Forster, Wagga Wagga, and several Sydney locations. The Morisset incident was included in the charges.
Following extensive inquiries, officers arrested a 37-year-old man and a 57-year-old man at a service station on Manning River Drive, Glenthorne, around 12:20 pm on Wednesday, January 7.
Police allegedly seized vehicle wires, international passports, mobile phones, a laptop, $6000 in cash, and receipts for money transfers during a search. Their vehicle was taken for forensic examination.
Both men were taken to Taree Police Station and charged with 72 offences each, relating to alleged fraud, theft, and entering a vehicle without consent. They were refused bail to appear in court on Thursday, January 9.
