A bogus courier driver who has fleeced Northlanders of thousands of dollars in a high-tech scam may have pilfered more than $10 million in Australia. The man used what looked like a portable eftpos machine to swipe cards for a $3.50 "courier payment" - then used the information to siphon $43,000from at least seven Northlanders' bank accounts. However, Whangarei police investigating the scam now believe the man may have evaded police in Australia for five years and pocketed $10 million using the same method. Police believe the man has since moved from Northland to Auckland, and during April and May, managed to steal a total of $100,000. Detective Constable Michele Marrison said the victims were often members of clubs, telephoned at home by a man who claimed his elderly mother wanted to donate equipment. The man said he worked for the health board and would send a medical courier over with the items. The next stage of the scam entailed a bogus courier driver arriving and asking for a $3.50 eftpos payment. The victim's cards were swiped through the machine - a card scanner which stored all details, including the PIN number. Ms Marrison said the information was then downloaded, the card cloned and used at ATM machines to withdraw huge sums of cash. The man police is described as Caucasian, about 187cm tall, slim with sandy or mousy coloured hair. He possibly speaks with an accent and on most occasions was described as clean shaven. " Information can be given in confidence to Ms Marrison on (09) 430 4518.
