Jamie O’Loughlin was last month conned out of $800 after being convinced he was part of a sting operation to catch online hackers.
The 22-year-old is a fulltime carer for his mother Annie, who suffers from a chronic condition, and was saving the money for Christmas.
After reading about Jamie's ordeal in the Riverine Herald, an Echuca pensioner decided to give him $100.
“I really felt for him and it being so close to Christmas,” the anonymous woman said.
Jamie was initially lost for words.
“All I can say is thank you,” he said.
“This will definitely help me. It gives me a bit of hope in people.
“I thought everyone was a scammer after what happened and I got really down in the dumps.
“I thought everyone would call me stupid.”
Since being hacked, Jamie and his mum have had their computers checked and changed all their passwords.
“I don't have to be full of terror thinking of what they can do now,” he said.