Channel 10’s The Project has been praised by viewers after exposing an online scam.
On Monday, 71-year-old mother Belinda Myers appeared on the show to tell how she had her life savings of $15,000 ripped off by a heartless scammer.
During the interview with host Waleed Aly, Belinda said that she was ashamed for falling for the scam.
She also said that after contacting the police and the bank involved, the current affairs show was the first to show any interest in her story.
Following the report, one viewer praised the show on TV industry blog Media Spy writing: ‘The Project is still going strong on scam victim stories which I think is a good thing raising awareness.’
‘The reality [is] that banks and authorities don’t really help if you’ve been scammed.’
‘The victim [Belinda Myers] they interviewed on [Monday’s] show said that she’d contacted her bank, police, and other media, but no one has been interested except for The Project.’
During the report, Belinda said she had fallen for what is known as a ‘Hi Mum’ scam.
Channel 10’s The Project has been praised after the current affairs show exposed an online scam on Monday night. Pictured: Host Waleed Aly
This is where digital con artists pose as the children of the victim. The scam revolves around asking for ’emergency funds’.
‘I always said ”I’ll never get scammed”,’ said an emotional Belinda.
‘I thought [the message] was from my son and I didn’t even think [anything of it]. I feel stupid, ignorant, ashamed.’
A clearly moved Aly tried his best to offer sympathy for Belinda, who then continued: ‘I contacted my bank and the police and then I wrote to you at The Project…and you were the [only media who showed an interest] in telling my story.’
Belinda said she feels ‘isolated’ these days and can’t ‘trust anything anymore’.
On Monday, 71-year-old mother Belinda Myers appeared on the show to tell how she had her life savings of $15,000 ripped off by a heartless scammer
It comes after viewers sparked speculation last month that The Project was ‘trying to get axed.’
Fans of the Network 10 program took to social media to share their theories on why the show could be on the chopping block.
They particularly expressed their concerns about the direction the program has taken after they aired a story about ‘smells that make you feel nostalgic’.
‘Last night’s choice of top story made me wonder if they’re trying to get axed,’ one viewer noted.
Another was curious about the nature of the story, to which another viewer replied, ‘Some fluff about certain smells making you feel nostalgic about past memories and experiences. The sort of magazine filler story you’d find on Studio 10.’
Speculation grew further when another fan suggested the show might be transitioning from a current affairs format to something more akin to Studio 10.
It comes after viewers sparked speculation last month that The Project was ‘trying to get axed.’ Pictured: The cast of The Project
‘Which makes me want to wonder – are they still trying to be a current affairs (news) program or are they trying to slowly shift to a Studio 10 type program? They used to do the two very well when it first started. But lately, it hasn’t been the same vibe,’ they wrote.
Viewers also noted that the format of the show has significantly changed.
Meanwhile, in July a Network 10 spokesperson confirmed the program is not going anywhere.
‘The Project remains an integral part of our content line up and rest assured, it’s not going anywhere,’ they told Daily Mail Australia.