Hayden Gobey’s prison phone calls helped him access victims’ bank accounts, court hears

Hayden Rae Gobey carried out an extensive fraud scheme that continued even while he was behind bars, according to a court summary detailing two years of offending. At his sentencing in Wellington District Court, Judge Bill Hastings described the dishonesty as among the worst he had encountered in 16 years on the bench. The summary says Gobey called the national transport agency using a private number intended for police. He supplied an identification number and a false name, and claimed a rank of constable or detective. Staff believed they were speaking with an officer and provided personal information about members of the public, including licence details and contact information. Through 11 calls, Gobey obtained details belonging to 26 people, which he passed to associates outside prison. The information was used to run credit checks and, the summary says, to gain access to victims’ online banking. Gobey then used deception to take control of accounts and transfer money to himself. A search of his cell after officials learned about the calls uncovered notebooks containing personal details, including information about people he had targeted before. One victim told the court that Gobey stole $20,000 from his online account while in prison. In a victim impact statement, the man described the stress and anxiety caused by the theft, as well as the time needed to replace his driver’s licence and passwords. “This series of events leads me to distrust people and organisations,” he said. Gobey, 33, appeared by video link from Whanganui Prison and sat silently during the two-hour hearing, according to the report. A pre-sentence report recorded that he blamed his actions on drug addiction and said he “got a buzz from it”. Judge Hastings also barred him from receiving an electronic identity credential for 10 years, preventing him from holding a RealMe account. The summary says he had twice accessed victims’ RealMe accounts and changed their passwords and access information.