Scammers are using deception and software AnyDesk to gain remote access to digital devices and fleece Northern Beaches residents, local police have revealed.
Just last week, on 11 February 2025, an 82-year-old man from Davidson received an email claiming to be from PayPal inquiring about a transaction.
The man was given instructions to download AnyDesk to gain access to fix the error.
The man downloaded the software and soon after, thieves withdrew $20,000 from his bank account.
An investigation is under way, and it is unclear if the funds were transferred overseas.
Only a few days earlier, on 7 February 2025, an 81-year-old woman from Elanora Heights received a phone call from a person who said they were from Telstra and offered to fix the woman’s internet.
The offender gave the woman directions on how to download AnyDesk and about $20,000 was withdrawn from her account.
AnyDesk is a legitimate software and serves a purpose for IT access solutions. However, it is also used by offenders to trick people into giving them access to computers. Police are urging the community to be firm and ignore calls from unknown people who ask for residents to use AnyDesk.
Elsewhere on the beat this week…
Property rental fraud on Facebook Market Place
On 29 January 2025, a man from Avalon Beach found an apartment in Newcastle to rent on Facebook Marketplace.
The man communicated via email with the person he believed was the owner of the apartment and he was provided with photos of the property. Further contact was with a person on WhatsApp who provided details on the cost of rent, bond and where to send money.
The victim transferred $2,900 for preliminary costs to a Spanish bank account.
The victim’s phone calls have since been ignored.
Police are investigating local lines of inquiry however, it will be difficult to recover funds from an overseas account.
Man found carrying a knife at Beacon Hill
At about 2:00am on 5 February 2025, a community member called the police about a man acting suspiciously at Egan Place, Beacon Hill.
Police on patrol responded and stopped a 42-year-old Northern Beaches man.
He was searched and found to have a small knife in his possession.
No other offence was detected.
Police issued the man with a Field Court Attendance Notice for Custody of a knife in a public place, and he will appear at Manly Local Court on 19 March 2025.
Crime Watch Northern Beaches is a weekly wrap up of local crimes and incidents from the Northern Beaches Police Area Command. If you saw or can help with any of the below incidents, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or here. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. You can also contact Dee Why Police Station 9971 3399.
