1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:01,000 Speaker 1: Hello. 2 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 2: My name is Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud Order 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 2: Order Kerni Whoalbury and a waddery woman. And before we 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 2: get started on She's on the Money podcast, I would 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 2: like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 2: which this podcast is recorded on a wondery country, acknowledging 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 2: the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming through 8 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 2: as this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing and 9 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: the storytelling of you to make a difference for today 10 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 2: and lasting impact for tomorrow. 11 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: Let's get into it. 12 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 3: She's on the Money, She's on the Money. 13 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a very different episode of She's 14 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: on the Money. I'm Victory de Vine and I usually 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: bring you all the info, tips and tricks to educate 16 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: you and set you on your journey towards financial independence. 17 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: But sometimes even with all the knowledge in the world 18 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: and the know how and the emergency fund and the 19 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: investment portfolio, things just don't go to plan. This is 20 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: exactly what happened to Tracy Hall in twenty sixteen. Tracy 21 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: signed up to a little dating app after separating from 22 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: her husband. This is where she met Max ta Vita. 23 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: Max was a great listener, adventurous, and came into her 24 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: life at exactly the right time. That was until one 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: day in twenty seventeen, she missed a call from Max. 26 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: When she called back, no answer. The pair usually spoke 27 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: several times a day, and when she didn't hear from him, 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: she grew really worried and called the police to do 29 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: a welfare check on him. After she placed the call, 30 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: she received a message from a friend telling her to 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: check out a link to a video and call her 32 00:01:54,240 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: straight away. That moment is when Tracy's life turned upside down. Tracy, Hello, 33 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: Hi Rick, Tracy's joined us in the studio to share 34 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: her story. Welcome to She's on the Money. Thank you 35 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: for having me. I'm low key very excited about this 36 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: story because it's a little bit of a different twist 37 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: on She's on the Money. But let's start at the 38 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: very start. How'd you meet Max? Like you said, I 39 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: had separated from my husband about a year before, and 40 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: I decided that I was ready to meet someone. I 41 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: wanted some companionship in my life, someone to do the 42 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: things that I like doing, with similar interests and values 43 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 1: and morals, and so I decided to go on the 44 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: dating apps. I met my husband on a dating app, so, like, 45 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: there are some good stories on that when you're a 46 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 1: bit nervy, like coming out of a marriage and going 47 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: on a dating app. Because when I met my husband, 48 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: dating apps didn't exist. No, it would have been in 49 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 1: your world. Yeah, it was a whole new world. And 50 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: obviously I was in my early forties, so it was 51 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: just a bit. It doesn't looked like you're in your 52 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: early forties, so you want a dating app, you would 53 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: have been hot property. I reckon. Did you go on 54 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: a few dates before meeting Max or yeah? A few? 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: It was fun. I mean it was slim Pickings and 56 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: it's a bit of a jungle, so it's wild out there. 57 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: It is pretty crazy, and my friends and I had 58 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: you know, we got some great content. We had a 59 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: few laughs, and you know, they were following along my journey. 60 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: But I guess I knew that, yeah I did. You know. 61 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: I knew that I wasn't going to meet some great guy, 62 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: you know, if I was sitting in front of my 63 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: TV on a Monday night, So it was the only 64 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: way I was going to meet someone. And I swiped 65 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: right on Max and he looked pretty normal compared to 66 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: some of the other looking guys, and for a little 67 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: dream he had a beautiful smile and blue eyes, and 68 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: his photos were just things he liked doing, like surfing 69 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: and running and paddle boarding and things like that. So 70 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: I just thought he looked pretty normal, sounds like a 71 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: dream boat. So that's what drew you to him, Like, 72 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: you went on a date, How did it go after that? Well, 73 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: it took us a while to go on a date 74 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: because I sort of was on a limited schedule because 75 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: I was a single mom. And we went on a date. 76 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: We went for dinner and it was pretty low key. 77 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: It was not a very long dinner. He didn't really drink. 78 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: I was working really long hours at the time, and 79 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: I was quite tired. I think I yawned at one point, 80 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: Oh my god, which is awful. That is what it is, 81 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: awful behavior. But he said, oh, you look really tired. 82 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: I'll get you home. And he was just really caring 83 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: and he was a great listener. He was very engaging. 84 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: He was funny, kind of like an Aussie Larakan in 85 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: a way. We had a similar upbringing in Australia, so 86 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: we had a lot in common. It sounds like a 87 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: dream so far. Like it was pretty I mean, as 88 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: far as first dates went, it was pretty good. Yeah, 89 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: no good, he got you home, you were tired, amazing. 90 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: Ye. 91 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: Were there any red flags at all? I mean throughout 92 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: the time we dated, Yes, of course, But because I 93 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: feel like I'm the kind of girl like I went 94 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: on a few dates before meeting Steve, and like there'd 95 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: be red flags that whenever real red flags, I just 96 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: think they were because you know, you're being quite picky 97 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: at the very start. Yeah, you're watching out for those things. 98 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: Like he came to pick me up in the city 99 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: and he didn't want to double park or park in 100 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: the no parking zone and come in and meet the 101 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: friend I was having a drink with after work because 102 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 1: of the parking situation. But when we got to the restaurant, 103 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: he parked in a no parking zone and he was like, 104 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter, I'll just pay the fine. I was like, yeah, 105 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: but ten minutes ago, like this in my head, I'm like, 106 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: ten minutes ago, you didn't even want to come in 107 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: and meet my friend. Oh, that's really weird. So it 108 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: was just weird, But at the time, you know, things 109 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: move on really quickly, and you just kind of like 110 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: people do weird things anyway, Like I would do things 111 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: on a first date that people might think of strange, 112 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: and sometimes I'm just weird. Like you've got to balance 113 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: it out. Everyone's got their own cooks, So you go 114 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: all right moving on. And I was like, it's your cart, 115 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: it's your license, it's your money. That's really It's okay, 116 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: so nice. So all of it was going really well. 117 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: You were dating for a while. Obviously, you know there 118 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: are some red flags, but nothing to kind of like 119 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: draw so much attention that you need to like get 120 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: a private investigator on your new boyfriend, right and suspect anything. No, no, 121 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: of course not. And then you got a miss call. 122 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: You'd flown back from a trip to Byron Bay and 123 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: he was driving back down. But after you received the 124 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: missed call from him, you didn't hear from him again. 125 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: What happened that day, Well, this was nearly eighteen months 126 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: after we first started going out, and I spent the 127 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: whole day trying to get in touch with him, and 128 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: there was no answer, and I started to get really 129 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 1: worried and spent the night looking for people he knew. 130 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: His family, trying to get in touch with him, and 131 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: I woke up super early the next morning and I 132 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: called Bondi Police because I hadn't heard from him, and 133 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: I would honest, yeah, it's eighteen months, like I know 134 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: that if you're like twenty eighteen months feels like forever, 135 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: like when you're a single mum as well. That's a 136 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: serious relationship. Was a serious relationship. We were very close, 137 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: we were very intimate, and we'd just been away for 138 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 1: a weekend and it was just very very unusual. We 139 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: spoke multiple times a day, like either text or what's 140 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: up or whatever, and I didn't hear from him. So 141 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: I asked Bondi Police to do a wellness check on him. 142 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: Gave them all the details of him, and in the meantime, 143 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: I received a call from a girlfriend of mine and 144 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: she said, how are you And I said, haven't slept 145 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: a wink. Something's happened to Max. I'm really worried. I 146 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,840 Speaker 1: don't know what's happened. I haven't heard from him. And 147 00:06:58,200 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: she said, I'm going to send you a link and 148 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: I said, oh my god, he's dead. There's been an accident. 149 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: He accident link or something or like a shark attack 150 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: or he's been like something's happened while he's been so good. 151 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: I would have felt so sick. I felt ill, and 152 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: she said he's not dead. Just opened the link and 153 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: called me straight back. And I opened the link and 154 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: it was the video of him being arrested outside of 155 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: his apartment, and his face was all blurred out, but 156 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: of course I knew it was his body. Yeah, and 157 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: you know his apartment. I knew it was him. And 158 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: that's when the world turned upside down for me. That's insane. 159 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: So when you saw that video and you finally saw 160 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: a crime stoppers video and realized that was your boyfriend, 161 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: were you like what the hell? Obviously you had no 162 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: idea what's he being arrested for? Like what conclusions did 163 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: you jump to it that? Well, the headlines were, you know, 164 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: Bondai businessman forty seven, superannuation fraud with these types of 165 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: broad headlines, and I was like that it's this must 166 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: be something wrong because Max is forty two. You know. 167 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: These were the weird things that were going on my 168 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: head because I was like, he's wrong, like at some point, 169 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: how dramatic, Yeah, just so bizarre. And I called back 170 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: Bondi police and I said, you don't need to do 171 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: a wellness check. The man that lives at that address 172 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: has been arrested. And they said, yes, we know, but 173 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: the person who lives there, his age, he's everything about 174 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: that man is not the man who lives at that address. 175 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: And I said, but it is, because who you're looking 176 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: forward to, Racy, And he said the policeman said, it's 177 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: not that person, it's a different person. I said, well, 178 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: who is it? What's it? You know, what's his name? 179 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: And they said, you need to deal with investigators that 180 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: are on the case, and they couldn't tell you any information. 181 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: So you've just found out that your boyfriend isn't who 182 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: you thought he was, and you're on the phone to 183 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: someone who's like, yeah, also, Tracy, I'm not telling you. 184 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: You can go find out from someone else. Yeah, And 185 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: I mean it's kind of a legal case at that point, 186 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: so you know they understand. But at the same time, 187 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: your shell shot. Yeah, my brain was just going crazy. 188 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: And then not long after, I received a text from 189 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: his brother in law, who I'd been trying to get 190 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: in touch with, and it's said in the text, Tracy 191 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: called me on this number urgently. Chris and brackets. He 192 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: wrote Hamish's brother in law and I called him immediately 193 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: and I said, Chris, who the fuck is Hamish? And 194 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: he said Hamish McLaren And I said, well, who is 195 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: Max Tavita? What is going on? You know? And I've 196 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: heard of Hamish No, And of course, armed with his 197 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: real name, I could look on the internet and find 198 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 1: out everything about him. Oh my god, this is wild, 199 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: and I know it actually gets juicier. So let's go 200 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: to a really quick break and on the flip side, 201 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: we're going to hear more about Tracy's guard reaching story. 202 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: Welcome back to today's very special and very different episode of 203 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 1: She's on the Money without very special guest Tracy Hall. 204 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: Now Tracy. After a call to the police asking for 205 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: a welfare check on your boyfriend, finding out that he 206 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: wasn't who he said he was, You've got this video 207 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: of your boyfriend being arrested. You got a text message 208 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: from a brother in law stating that your boyfriend's name 209 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: was actually Hamish and not Max. Where's your head at? 210 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: I don't know? It was doing circles. And I then 211 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: had a conversation with the investigators who were working on 212 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: the case. Who could confirm that Max Stevina was in 213 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: fact Hamish McLaren and he had defrauded multiple people out 214 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: of a lot of money, and that I needed to 215 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: get to the police station immediately. Now, if somebody called 216 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: me and said, Victoria, your husband has defrauded multiple people, 217 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: I would deny till I die. Like I'd immediately be like, 218 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: absolutely not, Like that is not the person. I know, 219 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,959 Speaker 1: that is not what happened, Like I would die on 220 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: that hill, Like I just unequivocally know that. I would 221 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: immediately go. I don't know, faced with some proof, I 222 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: think I'd just be in a whirlwind of confusion. What 223 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: did you do next? I was in a cafe with 224 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: a girlfriend. My head was spinning, and I was looking 225 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: up who Hamish McLaren was on the internet, and prior 226 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: to even this case and this arrest, there was a 227 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: lot of misconduct over a long period of time, and 228 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: there had been a lot written about him, and so 229 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: armed with his name, I could look at these articles 230 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: on the Internet and start to realize pretty quickly that 231 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: I was dealing with something way worse than when I 232 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 1: originally thought. And so that's when I just went straight 233 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: to the detectives and I sat down with them, and 234 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: they explained things to me very broadly, like I didn't 235 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: know how many victims there were, I didn't know how 236 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: much money. But they asked me to gather all of 237 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: my information, and I literally had to put together nearly 238 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: eighteen months of my life that had happened, every statement, 239 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 1: every email, every room wants up message, yeah, every memory, 240 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: every document he had ever provided me, every everything. And 241 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: I had to work with them over the next ensuing 242 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: weeks to kind of put together that puzzle and explain 243 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,719 Speaker 1: to them how Hamish had sort of deceived me in that. 244 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: And that's when I started to realize that he had 245 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: stolen my life savings. He'd stolen three hundred and seventy 246 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: thousand dollars of your money. Is that right? 247 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? 248 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: Everything? Absolutely everything. How was your mental health throughout this? 249 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: Because I can just imagine being told, as I said before, 250 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: I'd be denied till I die. But then you get 251 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: like confronted with some facts. Yeah, and I feel like 252 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: you have to flip the narrative and go hold on, 253 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: I think these guys are correct. Did you hear from 254 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: Hamish slash Max? 255 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? 256 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: I did. He had called me from jail a few times, 257 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: and then he sent me some letters that was in 258 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: sort of the two to six months after he was arrested. 259 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: So that went on for quite a while. But I 260 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: pretty quickly realized that I was never going to get 261 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: the truth from him. It was all just a I 262 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: don't know, like a three hundred and seventeen thousand dollar 263 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: carrot that he was dangling in front of my face 264 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: to get me to go and see him. And I 265 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: was never going to see that money again. I was 266 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: never going to get the truth from him. So I 267 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: decided never to do that. Yeah, and I think you 268 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: sound so level headed, like you sound so well rounded 269 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: talking about this, because I think I would have gone 270 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 1: into a spin, like if you've got three hundred and 271 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: seventeen thousand dollars of my money, I'll go see you, 272 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,959 Speaker 1: I'll work it out, like how did you work out 273 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: what to do? And it sounds like you've done absolutely 274 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: everything right. I'd be the person that did it wrong, 275 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: Like I would be going to jail and being like, 276 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: what did you do? Please tell me, and like probably 277 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: believing parts of it. I was so tempted, because of 278 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: course I was thinking that maybe there's just a way 279 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: that I can get a piece of information, or he 280 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: can tell me how to get my money back. It 281 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: was so tempting, of course, but I mean, I just 282 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: had to look at the facts and look at the 283 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: past sixteen months of my life and my relationship with him, 284 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: and know very quickly that everything was just a lie, 285 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: that why would he suddenly start telling me the truth? 286 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: And I just had to work with what I had. 287 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 1: I had to face the facts. I was kind of 288 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: dealing with this sort of duel thing. So there was 289 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: like all of the very practical things that I had 290 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: to do, working with the police, untangling a non compliance 291 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: superannuation fund, looking at a tax refund that may or 292 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 1: may not have been fraudulent, you know, pulling together all 293 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: of this information. And then of course I had all 294 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: of the very emotional things to deal with, which was 295 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: essentially this man that I've been in love with. I 296 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: had to fall out of love with him in like 297 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: a hot minute, like less than twenty four hours, and 298 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: it was like a death. So I was grieving a relationship. 299 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: But then I felt bad for grieving a relationship because 300 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: he was a con man and it wasn't a real relationship. 301 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: And then of course I had my daughter to like, 302 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: life just had to carry on, and I had a job, 303 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: and I thank my lucky stars that I had that 304 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: job because it is what pulled me out. And I 305 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: think my lucky stars I had my daughter because she's 306 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: what pulled me out as well. My god, So you're 307 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: three hundred and seventeen thousand dollars down. I'm an ex 308 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: financial advisor and this just sends me into a spin. 309 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: I know that Hamish McLaren is responsible for stealing millions 310 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: of dollars from people, but even to get your hands 311 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: on three hundred and seventeen thousand dollars, how did that eventuate? 312 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: Because you are a smart woman, you've clearly got your 313 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: head screwed on, and to be honest, you're dealing with 314 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: this at this point way better than I ever would have. 315 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: So how does he get his dirty little mits on 316 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: your money? It was the way I explain it. It's 317 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: like he created a movie. So he created this life 318 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: over a period of eighteen months or nearly eighteen months, 319 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: where there were sets, there were scenes, there were characters 320 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,359 Speaker 1: that he created to present himself as a chief financial 321 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: investment officer for a family office. I overheard conversations. There 322 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: were the Bloomberg monitors, there were the fake reports, there 323 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: were the investment accounts. He set this whole world up 324 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: for me to believe that he was who he actually was, 325 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: and this is what course of control and grooming looks 326 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: like in this situation. And by the time it got 327 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: to sort of a year down the track, and he 328 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 1: was asking me about my superannuation and what I was 329 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: doing and how much I was paying in fees. Everything 330 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: that he had said to me previously was lining up, 331 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: and I thought he was the perfect person to help 332 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: me invest Why wouldn't my money exactly. And it's kind 333 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: of like if someone says to me, I've worked in 334 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: marketing for twenty five years, someone says to me they've 335 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: got a small business, and they go, you know, I 336 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: need to help with this, or what would you do here? 337 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: People would listen to me, because you know, the difference 338 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: is I don't have ill intent. But he presented himself 339 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: as someone who wanted to help me be more financially independent. 340 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: This was his line of work. I'd overheard countless conversations, 341 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: so by the time we got to that point, there 342 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: was not a shadow of a doubt in my mind 343 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: that he was the right person to do that. So 344 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: he convinced me to set up a self managed super fund, 345 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: and he groomed me through that whole process, and I 346 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: took my twenty two year career superannuation savings and funds 347 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: into out of my fund and into a self managed 348 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: super fund. And then there were some other things like shares, 349 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: and I'd work for tech for a long time, US 350 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: tech companies, and he had every commentary about you know, 351 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: Trump's antics and how that was going to impact the 352 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: US economy and that's why I should take my shares 353 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: out right now and do this. So he just groomed 354 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: me through the whole process, really, and I trusted him. 355 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: I loved him. I thought were building a future together. 356 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: Wouldn't you, Why wouldn't I didn't suspect anything. And that's how, 357 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: in the end, how he got my life savings. And 358 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: it's one of those things where so many people will 359 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: think that could never happen to me, Like they get 360 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: on their high horses and say, nah, like that's so dumb, 361 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: like how could she believe that? But I'm not saying 362 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 1: it's easy. But those things make sense, Like if you've 363 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: got a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Even if you 364 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: google it, you go, what should I do with this 365 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 1: self managed super fund? Like basically everything he would have 366 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: been telling you. You could have looked up and been like, Okay, 367 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: well that seems like a logical step. Like a self 368 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: managed throuper fund. Yep, they get a little bit more control. 369 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 1: I get to do ABCND All right, no worries. What 370 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: are you doing with my shares? Okay? Yeah? Like the 371 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: dude has a Bloomberg monitor up and you're seeing this. 372 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,360 Speaker 1: I think that the best description that you've given it 373 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,959 Speaker 1: is like that movie. Like he's setting all these scenes 374 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: so that you remember them hystorically, and that just plays 375 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: into that level of trust you have for this individual. 376 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: It's manipulative, it's gas lighting, but on steroids. Yes, like 377 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: to me, this definitely could happen to you. Can you 378 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: tell me before we get into I guess how to 379 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: avoid it? Can you talk me through what that fallout 380 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: has been like for you? Because your life savings are gone? Yeah, 381 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: so of course I lost all of my life savings. 382 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: I ended up in a position in my early forties 383 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 1: where I just had my monthly income. I'm on my 384 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,400 Speaker 1: own I'm a single mum. I had no backstop at home, 385 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: so I just had to double down. And it's not 386 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: lost on me that I had an incredible job and 387 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 1: I'm so grateful for that. And I always say to women, 388 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: especially in all the seasons of our lives, just try 389 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: and have your own income, Try and hold onto work, 390 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:38,679 Speaker 1: try and work, you know, and that gives you choices, 391 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: It gives you options, it gives you some freedoms. And 392 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: thank god I had that, so, you know, obviously, the 393 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: financial piece was one thing. So I had to work 394 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 1: out really quickly how I was going to rebuild financially. 395 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: And my future is going to look very different to 396 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 1: what it otherwise would have. But I worked with a 397 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: financial advisor, a registered financial advisor when you could look 398 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,120 Speaker 1: up on as sick and actually and I did. I 399 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: did all my due diligence around the person I chose, 400 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: and she's wonderful and we essentially visioned my life and 401 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: she said, what do you want your life to look 402 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: like in two, five and ten years time? And we 403 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: wrote it up on a whiteboard and she, you know, 404 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: figuratively held my hand and she said, you're going to 405 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: be okay. What an angel she also, what a step 406 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: for you to make I feel like so many people 407 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: to just buried their heads in the sand and like 408 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: not trusted a thing that this woman was saying. Yeah, 409 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: but I had to because my brain was not working 410 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: because I was in grief, I was in shock, I 411 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: was in shame and embarrassment and guilt and all of 412 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: those things. And I was working really hard because I 413 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: couldn't lose my job. So all of these things coupled together. 414 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,719 Speaker 1: I knew I had to get some support. And she 415 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: was one of the people that helped me through that. 416 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 1: And she's still my financial advisor today. I love that. 417 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: A lifetime relations moving for I love her, and she's just, 418 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: you know, my right hand person when it comes to 419 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: rebuilding my finances and asking any questions and dotting all 420 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: the eyes and crossing all the teas. And I'm pretty 421 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: disciplined and I'm pretty vigorous, and I just do what 422 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: we say we're going to do and then flying. When 423 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: I was a financial advisor. Yeah, so that was the 424 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: fallout financially. But I do believe that if you have 425 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: the right mindset, the right work ethic, you know, just 426 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: the right energy about you, you can always make money. 427 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: I love this. I do believe that not only rebuilt, 428 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: but you're like, hey, I started from scratcher getting my forties, 429 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: I was on the starting lilt, an inspiring story in isolation. 430 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: It's also to have been completely screwed over, Like there 431 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: was the emotional side that was there's a lot of 432 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:36,919 Speaker 1: therapy that I think that you're going to need to 433 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: be in for a little while. Yet there's a lot 434 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 1: the emotional side is hardest because money you can make, 435 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: but learning to trust yourself and building your own self 436 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: confidence back and thinking about the world in a different 437 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: way to what you always have, having that within you 438 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: again and that that's been the hardest. Can we talk 439 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: a little bit more about red flags? So the start, 440 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,479 Speaker 1: you didn't really have any, And I mean we trust 441 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: people implicitly, like I know, I've got girlfriends who write 442 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: people off when they're dating them because you know, they 443 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 1: walk funny, or they said something funny, or they held 444 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,640 Speaker 1: their fork the wrong way. Like as women, we do 445 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: some pretty rogue things while dating and red flags can 446 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: often be really red, like full crimson, or we might 447 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 1: categorize them as red flags when they're really just us 448 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: getting the beige. Yeah, they're they're beige flags. But were 449 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,879 Speaker 1: there red flags along the way that, in hindsight you 450 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: look at and go I wish that I had delved 451 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: a bit deeper into that. Yeah, I think it's funny 452 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: the conversation around red flags, because it makes you feel 453 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: like you should have seen them. No, you should. They're 454 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: actually invisible flags. Right at the time, they're invisible and 455 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: it's not until you're in retrospect that you can look 456 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: at them. But the red flags, I mean, definitely he 457 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: was quirky, Like the stories when you put them all together, 458 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: even though they came in drips and jobs throughout the 459 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: whole relationship. When I recount those stories in full, their crazy, like, 460 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: oh my god, Like I can't believe I believe them. 461 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: But that's the way grooming and coursive control works. Things come. 462 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 1: It's like death by a thousand cuts, right. But the 463 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: big things were around, you know, when he presented me 464 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: with these ideas about you know, investments and things like that. 465 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: I'm not ashamed to admit that I didn't think critically enough. 466 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,919 Speaker 1: I trusted him. I believed he had my best interests 467 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: at heart. But what I've realized is that you know 468 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 1: your money and your heart are the most important things 469 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: you can protect, and I probably didn't have as much 470 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: agency as I do now around my money. And what 471 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: I like to encourage in telling this story is like, 472 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: especially for women, just leaning harder because it's not always easy, 473 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: it's not always accessible. Sometimes it is hard, but it's 474 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 1: harder losing your life savings and having to start again 475 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 1: at forty. So learn it. Like and this way I 476 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: love what you do V is like educating people around 477 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: financial wellness, financial advocacy and you know, resilience, all of 478 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: those things that you're encouraging the female community that you 479 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,360 Speaker 1: have to lean into. I probably didn't think critically enough 480 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,160 Speaker 1: about them, you know. And I don't think I could 481 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: have critically thought my way out of the fact the 482 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: man that was spooning me at night was also plotting 483 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: to destroy me. And I think that's the wildest thing. 484 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 1: I think. We assume that we'd be able to see 485 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: these things coming. And like when I asked you about 486 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 1: red flags, I actually assumed you'd be like, no, not really, because, 487 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: like you know, it was so choreographed that when it 488 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: came up, well, why would that be an issue? Well, 489 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: he had an answer for everything, too, because of course 490 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,159 Speaker 1: he'd been doing this his job. He'd be doing it 491 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 1: for thirty years, and you do anything for thirty years, 492 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: and you get get really good at it, you know. 493 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: And throughout the book, I do use the red flag 494 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,200 Speaker 1: as a you know, just as a pullout in real 495 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: time to go. You know what, if I had really 496 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: thought about this, it probably would have done a side 497 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: eye on it or something like that, you know. But that, 498 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: of course, that's so easy to do in retrospect. But 499 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: hopefully my lessons can be someone else's lessons in advance. 500 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: And that's why we're bringing you on the pot and 501 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: sharing this story. And I think there is this juxtaposition 502 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: at play when people are in these circumstances, right because unfortunately, 503 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: you're not the first person I've spoken to who has 504 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: had a partner still their life savings. Honestly, not to 505 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: the level of Hamish McLaren. Pretty extreme, that's very extreme, 506 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: and it is a wild story, sadly true. But people 507 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: go through these things, and this juxtaposition is at play 508 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: because you've got the logical and then you've got the 509 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: emotional and I, you know, am grasping at straws or 510 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: claiming here that I'm assuming your emotional relationship with him 511 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: was great, Like you're spooning this man at night, Like, 512 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,680 Speaker 1: how great is this. I've come out of a divorce, 513 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: I've got a child. I'm just I'm so happy. Yeah, 514 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: And when you're in that bubble, like why would things 515 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: look red? No, And we were planning on our future together, 516 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: We're looking at property and Byron bay like he and 517 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,719 Speaker 1: I were very very close and intimate talking about our future. 518 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: So it didn't feel I didn't suspec anything, and it 519 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: didn't feel like that. But of course you know he's 520 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,880 Speaker 1: kicking eye in the background. Yeah. So I know from 521 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: our community, sadly that most women going through situations of 522 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: coercive control and grooming, they don't realize, and then when 523 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 1: they come out the other side, or someone brings it 524 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: up or they've realized themselves, there's a lot of guilt 525 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,640 Speaker 1: and shame that they carry around this and it actually 526 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: has nothing to do with you in a way, like 527 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 1: these are the actions of somebody else that's got nothing 528 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,439 Speaker 1: to do with your intelligence or your emotional intelligence or 529 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 1: being able to read a situation like it makes you 530 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: second guess yourself when you're in these circumstances, you're like, 531 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: am I actually the worst judge of character in the 532 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: entire world? Like? Am I cooked? 533 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 3: Like? 534 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 1: What's going on here? But speaking to our community, what 535 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: would you like other victims to know and to feel 536 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,439 Speaker 1: after hearing your story? I think, in telling my story, 537 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: I want people to know that doesn't how well educated 538 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: you are, what family you come from, how well traveled 539 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: you are, how great you think your intuition is, these 540 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: things can happen to anyone. There's not one thing that 541 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 1: someone could say to me about this experience that I 542 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: haven't already said to myself in the worst possible and 543 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,919 Speaker 1: most disgusting, degrading way. And that is I think a 544 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: natural reaction. But another part of telling this story is 545 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: to release people from their shame, because if I can 546 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 1: tell this story, and what I've realized is a lot 547 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: of people have come forward to me and said that 548 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: happened to me, or that happened to my parents, or 549 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 1: I haven't told anyone about this situation. An older woman 550 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 1: came to me, she's seventy five. She had told anybody 551 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: that she'd lost her divorce settlement when she was forty. 552 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: Not even her children barely knew and she sat across 553 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: the table crying, and you know, she said, I haven't 554 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,880 Speaker 1: told anybody, and I'm like this, poor woman, thirty five 555 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: years she's held on to that's a lot. And I 556 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 1: know that feeling I held onto mind for just over 557 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: a year before I started talking about this situation the 558 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: podcast who They Were Say, miss And you know, it 559 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: wasn't until that moment that I released the shame because 560 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: you know, did I want the story to own me 561 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: or did I want to own the story? And for me, 562 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,719 Speaker 1: it was important to own this story. And I do 563 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: know that there were things that I could have done differently, 564 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: but to be ashamed and embarrassed about that when this 565 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: is somebody who has clearly taken advantage of your kindness 566 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: and your empathy and your compassion and your love, then 567 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: there is nothing to be ashamed about. And I hope 568 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 1: that just in telling my story, if anyone else has 569 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: felt anything similar to this, that they can realize that 570 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: as well. It's to me while that people could abuse 571 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: that level of trust like it makes me feel sick. 572 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: But the best thing that's come out of this is 573 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: you are now an advocate for women in situations like 574 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: this Like this is now your life's work. Yeah, And 575 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: I mean it's cost you three hundred and seventeen thousand dollars, 576 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: so it was actually a lot more expensive than just 577 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: going to UNI and getting a degree and like going 578 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: down the career route. Dramatic from you, but you're in 579 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 1: this position where you're kind of releasing these women from 580 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: these situations if we have been through this and we're 581 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: still holding a lot of guilt and shame, or we're 582 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: just not sure if we're in that situation because financially, 583 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 1: abusive relationships are really hard to identify, and often when 584 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: I speak to people, and you know, research tells us, 585 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 1: they're very hard to identify ourselves because we don't know 586 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: that that's abuse. We don't know that that's somebody grooming us, 587 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: we don't know that we're in a situation where someone's 588 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: using coercive control, because often it actually looks like them 589 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: quote trying to look after you, caring for you. It's 590 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: so nice of him to have come in and like 591 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: set you up and put you in the best possible position. 592 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: What a great guy. Even when friends and family might 593 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: identify it and say, hey, Tracy, did you realize you 594 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,239 Speaker 1: are going to deny what is going on? Because at 595 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: the end of the day, you know him, you trust him. 596 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: They're not the ones that go home with him at night. 597 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 1: They're not the ones that you know, roll over at 598 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: three am to this, you know, gorgeous man in your bed, 599 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: like what is going on? Yeah, but this is your 600 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: life's work now and honestly, I'm glad to have you 601 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: on my team. But talk to me about what resources 602 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: exist out there for people who might suspect that they're 603 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: a victim to a scammer. There are so many resources, 604 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: so they're ScamWatch, dot gov, dot AU. You can go 605 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,479 Speaker 1: and research. The banks are putting out a lot of 606 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: information at the moment, not only just on scams and fraud, 607 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 1: but on financial abuse and coersive control in this space. 608 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: ASIK have incredible resources on their website where you can 609 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,000 Speaker 1: look up the financial advisor that you're working with and 610 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: checking their AFSL. You can tell oh, you can check 611 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 1: whether they are actually qualified to advise you on what 612 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: they're advising you on. You can see if they've got 613 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:51,719 Speaker 1: any red flags against an AMCs are all very very 614 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: quick lookups. You can do a reverse image search so 615 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 1: you can put a photo Internet. I love twenty twenty four. 616 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: In some ways it's been so you can check if 617 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: I had have done that, then Hamish McLaren would have 618 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 1: shown up on it wouldn't have been maxed to. At 619 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: the same time, why would you be looking up your partner. 620 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: I know that's that side of romance fraud, but I mean, 621 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: there are just so many resources that you can, you know, 622 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: look at. There are domain URL lookups, so if you 623 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 1: get what you think might be a dodgy email about 624 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: a BSBN account number or something, you can look at 625 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: the extension of the domain, put it in and see 626 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: when that domain has been set up. You can see 627 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: what country that domain is registered in. If it's a 628 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: Caribbean country, you know, somewhere where there's no tax, you 629 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: could probably assume that it's a bit dodgy. And these 630 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: are some really easy things you can do. I've got 631 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: them all listed on my website, so people we can 632 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: be putting your website in our show notes and people 633 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: can go straight there because it's also a fantastic website 634 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: learning more about your story about what's going on. I mean, Tracy, 635 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, I am grateful to 636 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: have you on the podcast, but the reason you've come 637 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: on the podcast is because you're doing the media rounds. Yes, 638 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: because you have written a book. Yeah, tell us about that. Well, 639 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: the book is Got the Last Victim. And I think, 640 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: as we've sort of had in this conversation, it's such 641 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: a nuanced story. It's so detailed, and I felt that 642 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: I needed eighty thousand words to describe the insidious nature 643 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: of this type of fraud so that people could really 644 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: understand and try and learn from it. So I wrote 645 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: a book, It's Got the Last Victim. It's about my 646 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: time before, during, and after my relationship with Hamish. You know, 647 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: it is not just a sad Sally story where it's 648 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: it's juicy. It's juicy, it's got humor, and the final 649 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 1: part of the book is really about how do you 650 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: rebuild your life after something really traumatic happens and you 651 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: don't have to lose your life savings to a comment 652 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: in the way that I did. But we're all going 653 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: to go through things. We're all going to have our challenges, 654 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: and that's where the human spirit really has to lift 655 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 1: and we have to kind of find a way through. 656 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: So I talk about how I did that as well. 657 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: I am obsessed with this book. Everyone on my podcast 658 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 1: already knows I'm a true crime girl. Like I don't 659 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: want to tell people this, but like they know that 660 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: I go to bed at night listening to crime podcasts. Right, 661 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: I feel like that is a reflection of my instability. 662 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: But we can have that conversation another day. My favorite 663 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: thing is true crime. So when this Who the Hell 664 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: Is Hamish podcast started coming out, I was obsessed and 665 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 1: I remember hearing you and being like, she's so well spoken, 666 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: Like obviously I'd never met you. I didn't know your 667 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: story at that time. That was the first piece of 668 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: content that you existed in and I just remember going wow, 669 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: Like as of finance at the time, I was an advisor. 670 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: I was like, this guy took her for a ride. Like, 671 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: how did it feel having content like that come out 672 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: and you being a part of it, but it not 673 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: being your story? Like I just love that you've taken 674 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: it and made it positive? Yeah, because how did it 675 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: feel having stuff like that come out? Because it's obviously 676 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: not the positive story about you that your book is. No, 677 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: And that's why I wanted to write the book as well. 678 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: Because the podcast was about Hamish and uncovering the life 679 00:32:57,880 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: of Hamish and all of the things he'd done that 680 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: were both included in the case that was investigated in Australia, 681 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:07,840 Speaker 1: but as well as his global Shenanigan. Should we say yeah, 682 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: because I didn't just like defraud a couple of people 683 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: here in Australia, this guy went global. There's a lot 684 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: that is being said about that. So in essence, the 685 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: podcast was about Hamish and what he had done and 686 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: uncovering all of that and being a part of that. 687 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: I was really probably scared to do in the beginning 688 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: because I was so ashamed and embarrassed about what had happened, 689 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: but then realized that if in telling my story I 690 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: could help someone else or uncover more of what had happened, 691 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: then that was going to be positive. And then of 692 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: course it took off like no Tomorrow, and then you know, 693 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: the book off the back of that is really my story, 694 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 1: And yes, Hamish is a part of my story. He's 695 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: not the only thing that's ever happened to me. It 696 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: won't be the last tricky thing that I go through 697 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: my life, so it's just a part of it. But 698 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: I really wanted to use the opportunity to educate women, 699 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: especially about this type of fraud and scams and fraud 700 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: more generally, because it's everywhere right now. And I think 701 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: we work so hard for our money and we've got 702 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,040 Speaker 1: a hold onto already behind, Like as women, we're already behind. 703 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: I think my favorite thing about your book is like 704 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 1: it's awesome, it's inspiring, But obviously this was so significant 705 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,759 Speaker 1: and to be allowed to delve into your life, like 706 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,799 Speaker 1: to know what life was back before, what life was 707 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,319 Speaker 1: like during, and now how you've rebuilt yourself. I think 708 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: that we can all take a leaf out of that 709 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: book and just go Wow, if she can do it, 710 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: anyone can. And I think you were saying at the 711 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: start of this episode, like we can all make money, 712 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,280 Speaker 1: Like we can all put ourselves in the best possible position, 713 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: Like we just have to pull our fingers out. And 714 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: we talk a lot on this podcast about people having 715 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: their heads in the sand about finance because it is overwhelming. 716 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 1: It is really scary. Yeah, this stuff is going to 717 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: stay scary until you become educated. Tracy, what's life's like 718 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: today you've started to rebuild. How's your daughter? Oh, she's 719 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:03,120 Speaker 1: great because she's fourteen, so that's good time. But she's 720 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 1: fantastic and Yeah, life's busy. There's a lot of sport, 721 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,080 Speaker 1: there's a lot of activities. I am doing this full time. 722 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 1: So I'm working with corporates and writing workshops for retirees 723 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: to help protect them against scams and fraud when it 724 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: comes to technology. So I am just delving deep into 725 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: this world and you know, working with banks and government 726 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 1: on advocacy. Yeah, it's I'm loving it. So life is 727 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,359 Speaker 1: someone just come along and helped you sweep it under 728 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: a rug and rebuild again. And you're like, I see that. 729 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 1: It doesn't define me, but I found a purpose and 730 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,439 Speaker 1: I'm going to put so many people in a better 731 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,719 Speaker 1: position because of my life. I'm obsessed. Yeah, and it is. 732 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,880 Speaker 1: It's very purposeful. And I think sometimes we strive our 733 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: whole lives to find our purpose, and when you've worked 734 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:50,239 Speaker 1: in corporate a long time, that doesn't always kind of correlate. 735 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: And now I'm in a place where I can use 736 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 1: all the skills I've built over my twenty five year 737 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 1: career and put it to good use and hopefully help 738 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 1: people and help make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. 739 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: I'm obsessed. I have so much gratitude for you and 740 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:06,880 Speaker 1: the work that you're doing in this space because it 741 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: is so essential. I know that I'm really quickly running 742 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,720 Speaker 1: out of time with you. I have one last question. 743 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 1: It's a little bit pervy. Oh okay, well you ever 744 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: get back on the dating apps? Never back on the 745 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:17,720 Speaker 1: dating apps? 746 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 2: Never? 747 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,239 Speaker 1: You're like, absolutely not. That didn't work out for me 748 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 1: to start. God for life, scar the Live. I think 749 00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: there are you know, some things I am happy to 750 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 1: try again, but definitely not that. But no, I do 751 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 1: have a beautiful man in my life. He's amazing. I've 752 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,200 Speaker 1: known him for twenty four years. So oh, I love 753 00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: the We do a proper ID check, yes check, get it, 754 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,239 Speaker 1: get the Hundle points of ID. Yeah. No, I've known 755 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: him for a long time and we were sort of 756 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:47,440 Speaker 1: bestiaes when all of this happened. So yeah, But anyway, 757 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 1: so yeah. Isn't it funny how the world works out? 758 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: It's just the universe is just finally delivering. I love this. 759 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,920 Speaker 1: Thank you Universe, and thank you Tracy. This story is 760 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,360 Speaker 1: honestly so trash, but if you have changed it into 761 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: something that is aw inspiring, and I'm just so proud 762 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: to get to say that I know you and we 763 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,440 Speaker 1: are backing absolutely everything that you do. Guys, if you 764 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 1: haven't read it yet, the Last Victim is out now 765 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:14,360 Speaker 1: and I have got my hands on a few copies, 766 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,640 Speaker 1: so we will be announcing on socials how we're going 767 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: to give those away. But if you want to go 768 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 1: and pick one up, we will link to Tracy's website 769 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 1: and where you can purchase it online in the show notes. Tracy, again, 770 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: thank you so much for sharing your story. Thanks for 771 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: having me Bee. The advice shared on She's on the 772 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: Money is general in nature and does not consider your 773 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: individual circumstances. She's on the Money exists purely for educational 774 00:37:42,719 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: purposes and should not be relied upon to make an 775 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,480 Speaker 1: investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy 776 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: a financial product, read the PDS TMD and obtain appropriate 777 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Divine and She's 778 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:00,080 Speaker 1: on the Money are authorized representatives of Money SPAT D 779 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: Y L t D A B N three two one 780 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: six four nine two seven seven zero eight a F 781 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:08,840 Speaker 1: S L four five one two eight nine