Don't get conned says victim, 87 | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

It wasn't the money that upset 87-year-old Yolande Laing. It was ''the lovely girl'' who took it.
The former Masterton woman, who now lives in Hamilton, is warning Wairarapa residents to keep close tabs on their affairs or they could also become victims of fraud.
Last March a caregiver was convicted for stealing cheques from Mrs Laing while she was living at a Masterton rest home.
Mrs Laing lost $5300 in the fraud but said what had hurt her most was the ruin the thief had brought upon herself and her betrayal at the hands of a person she liked and trusted.
''I saw her [the thief] at court, and we both hugged each other and burst into tears. It was so sad.
''You must be very careful with your money in rest homes, and wherever you are, in these times it's essential. And what they call identity theft is happening too, so of course people should keep an eye on their money and personal information.''
Mrs Laing said many of the residents at the rest home had been upset by the theft, and now residents were advised to keep valuables locked in the safe.
However anybody could become a victim of a scam. It is likely thousands of Wairarapa residents already have, figures highlighted for fraud awareness week indicated.
A Ministry of Consumer Affairs national survey showed 15 per cent of all New Zealanders believed they had been scammed at some time. Sixty per cent said they had lost up to $1000, and 13 per cent said they had been defrauded of $20,000 or more.
Police Commissioner Howard Broad said scamming was a ''global industry'' that cost billions of dollars world-wide. Fraudsters were around long before the internet, Mr Broad said, but technology had made scams much easier to operate.
''Honest and well-meaning New Zealanders part with thousands of dollars every year for the promise of love, prizes or money _ or just to help someone apparently down on their luck.''