A routine shopping trip turned into a sobering reminder about vigilance and kindness after a Good Samaritan discovered that an elderly man in Suva had allegedly been robbed of his pension through an ATM card swap scam.
Veniana Devu, who shared the incident on social media, said she noticed the man sitting beside the Westpac ATM near MaxValue in Suva with his crutches, appearing anxious as he repeatedly checked his watch.
“Something about the way he was sitting there made me curious — it looked like he might need help,” Devu wrote.
After approaching him, she learned that he had handed his bank card to a stranger who had offered to withdraw money on his behalf.
The man never returned with the card — only $20, claiming it was all that remained in the account.
A woman who had also stopped to assist suggested checking the transaction history. But when she attempted to use the card, the ATM rejected the PIN. That was when Dau realised the card in the elderly man’s possession was not his.
“The person had taken his ATM card and swapped it with another one — stealing this elderly man’s pension money,” Devu said.
“My heart broke knowing someone could take advantage of a vulnerable old man like that.”
Police were notified and later arrived at the scene to take over the investigation.
Devu condemned the act, calling it cruel and unacceptable.
“Stealing from an elderly man is not smart, not desperate, and not excusable — it is cruel. In our society, elders are meant to be protected and respected, not exploited,” she said.
