MasterChef finalist Dani Venn has become the victim of a massive hacking scandal which can only be described as a “complete nightmare”.

The former contestant and her family had fraudsters swipe $250,000 that had been earmarked for a new home.

On June 18 hackers managed to infiltrate Property Exchange Australia (PEXA), a new online property transfer system, and diverted Dani’s money into their own account.

The family was left homeless, staying in a relative’s spare room.

Speaking with Ross Greenwood, Dani said PEXA attempted to “blackmail” her and her husband into taking a loan after she threatened to take the story to the media.

Since Dani’s story aired on A Current Affair, PEXA has agreed to pay her and her family the full amount that was stolen.

She tells Ross it was a terrifying experience.

“You can’t ever describe it.

“It’s just this sick pit in your stomach, you feel angry and frustrated, disappointed in the system you’ve only put faith in your whole life.

“Most people have worked so hard to get a house deposit in the first place and you just feel your whole life savings ripped from underneath you through no fault of your own.

“What was worrying was that there was no alert to notify our conveyancer there was a new user on his system.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview