Con artists raid mum’s savings

By REBECCA KUKU
Children of a woman who has been conned into investing her life savings in a money racket are appealing to police to look into the affairs of the group involved.
Vincent Tauno, 36, said that his mother, a former teacher, was told that the group would receive billions from Israel and those who invested with them would get millions in returns.
They group is known to meet at Apex Park in Boroko and 5-Mile in Port Moresby regularly to entice the unsuspecting, despite concerns by the authorities including Bank of PNG.
“It’s been ongoing since 2014,” Tauno said. “I’ve spoken with my mum, explained to her that they’re lying to you, but it’s like she’s been brainwashed.
“I’ve been to the police stations a couple of time, but again, I am told that I am a third party and the complaint has to be lodged by my mother.”
Tauno said his mother was a single mother who raised him and his two other siblings on her own.
“To just watch her throw her hard-earned savings away on these scammers is just so frustrating,” he said.
“In fact, me and my two younger brothers have stopped giving her any money now, because she just gets it and goes and gives it to them.”
Tauno called on police to look into their activities as these groups were scheming and stealing money from elderly citizens.
“Once, my mother protected me, and I want to protect her too,” he said. “The law does not allow me to report the group for stealing my mother’s money.
“My mother has given them almost K30,000 from her savings.
“If you add the money she contributes daily from 2014 up to today, I guess it’s probably around K40,000 to K50,000.
“The sad thing is they’ve got her so convinced that she refuses to lodge a complaint against them.
“She keeps telling us that she is investing with them for the three of us to benefit.”
Tauno called on police to investigate these con artists who were preying on elderly citizens and stealing their hard-earned savings.