Scammers are always coming up with new ways of scamming people out their hard-earned money. The more creative the better! Scams are constantly changing so it is important to be aware of what current scams are circulating at the moment. It all starts with a conversation – the more you talk to people about it, the more scams you will learn to avoid
Common Scams
Phishing Scams
- You receive an email or text message that looks like it’s from a legitimate company, such as your bank, credit card provider, mail/parcel delivery service
- The email asks you to click on a link or open an attachment in order to update your account information or confirm delivery
- If you click on the link or open the attachment, you’re taken to a website that looks like the real thing, but is actually a fake site created by the scammers
- The website asks you to enter your account information, including your username and password
- Once you enter this information, the scammers have access to your account and can steal your money or identity
- To avoid being scammed, always type in the web address of the provider
Investment Scams
Type 1
- The scammer will contact you through email, phone, or social media
- They’ll offer a guaranteed investment with high
- returns
- You’ll be asked to wire money to an account, but
- the scammer will disappear with your money
Type 2
- You get a call from someone who claims to be with the government, telling you that
- your bank account has been frozen
- They tell you that they can help unfreeze it if you pay them a fee, but all of this
- is just an elaborate scam
- The caller might say something like “we’ve noticed suspicious activity in your
- account” or “you have money we need to seize”
- Scammers are trying to scare people into paying for their help and then steal their
money
Tech Support Scams
Type 1
- Scammers will call you and say they’re from a company like Microsoft or Apple
- The scammer will tell you that your computer is infected with malware, which could lead to identity theft
- They’ll then try to sell you their “tech support” services for hundreds of dollars
- These scammers are usually based outside your country of origin, so there’s no way for them to actually help fix your problem
Type 2
- The scammer calls and claims to be from a company you’ve done business with
- They say there is a problem with your computer, but don’t mention any specifics
- When you ask for more information, they will ask for remote access to your computer
- Once the scammer has control of your computer, they’ll tell you that all of your files have been encrypted and demand payment in order to decrypt them
Government Scams
- A government scam is a type of fraud where the perpetrator impersonates an entity or organization to get personal information, money, or other benefits
- The most common examples are fake ATO calls and fake messages relating to the Covid-19 Pandemic claiming to be from Government Health services
Family Scams
- Family scam is a form of fraud in which the victim is contacted by someone posing as their family member
- The caller may claim to be in jail, have been in an accident, or need money for another reason
- Victims are often persuaded to wire money because they think it’s the only way to help their family member
Dating Scam
- Person creates fake online dating profile
- Uses photos of attractive person to lure people in
- Sends out messages to potential victims, pretending to be interested in them
- Asks for money for various reasons- travel, medical expenses, etc
- When victim agrees to send money, person disappears
- Victim is left out of pocket and heartbrok
Shopping Scam
- You receive an email from a retailer you’ve never heard of before, asking if you’re interested in purchasing some items
- The prices for the items are extremely low, much lower than what you would find at other retailers
- The email includes a link to a website where you can supposedly make your purchase
- When you click on the link, you’re taken to a different website that looks very official and professional
- However, when you try to checkout, the website asks for your credit card information
- Once you enter your information, the website steals your identity and uses your credit card to purchase expensive items
- To avoid this scam, only shop at websites you know are reputable, use PayPal
Stay aware of the scams that are currently circulating – a website like www.scamwatch.gov.au will publicise the most current and up to date scams and the stats about which ones result in the most losses.
