An Australian Politician Was Scammed By Two New York Teens After Ordering A “Massage”

It happens to all of us. You travel to New York for a cheeky holiday and check-in to a plush hotel right on Times Square. You’re a bit wrecked so you decide to call for a massage. You hear a knock on the door but instead of your masseuse it’s two teenage con-artists attempting to extort you while filming the whole thing on their phones.

It’s a classic holiday experience, and it’s one NSW Liberal MP Gareth Ward just became very familiar with.

According to the New York Daily News the 36-year-old politician was staying at the Intercontinental Hotel in Manhattan when he fell victim to the “special massage” scam. Instead of the massage service he ordered, Ward was met at the door by two young men. One of the men began recording Ward on his phone and said “My friend is 16. If you don’t pay us $1,000 we’re going to tell everyone we’re minors.”

Ward, to his credit, handled the situation like a pro. He told the scammers that he needed to go to an ATM to withdraw some cash, but instead he went straight to reception and asked a clerk to call 911. At this stage the teen scammers ran off. Ward then filed a police report.

“I asked for a massage – but when it became clear that more was on offer, I asked them to leave and then they became aggressive demanding money. I reported the matter to police and the matter is subject to investigation,” Ward said in a statement provided to Junkee.

“The ordeal was frightening,” he added.

Speaking to the ABC, Ward denied elements of the New York Daily News report, saying that he didn’t order a “special massage” and that he used an online service, not a telephone number provided by an acquaintance, to order the massage.

Special massage or not, it’s fair to say Ward wouldn’t be particularly happy with this ending.