Public profile information gives scammers further ability to target

Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels across Australia and there is no one group of people which is more likely to become a victim of a scam.

Anyone may be vulnerable to a scam at some time during their life but it seems scams are becoming all too frequent and even more specific when it comes to targeting a particular individual.

Scams are likely to succeed because they come across as the real deal and catch people off guard when they aren't expecting it.

Scammers are getting smarter and taking advantage of new technology, new products or services and major events to create believable stories to try and convince their target to hand over money and/or personal details.

Recently I realised how targeted scams could be. I was contacted by a scammer via social media on the Facebook messenger app.

He posed as a Vice Chancellor from Charles Sturt University. The fact I had studied there was visible on my Facebook profile.

He attempted to get me to purchase two iTunes cards valued at $200 and send them to him with the codes scratched off and promised to reimburse me.

He said it was urgent for his best friend's son's birthday.

It didn't sound right, and it demonstrated just how specialised these scams can be - they took advantage of something as simple as a statement that I studied at CSU on my social media profile. After reporting the incident to Scamwatch and speaking to Lithgow Police, Sergeant Jason Howe said scams were all too common today.

"What I advise is if something doesn't look right, then it's probably not," he said.

He advised if you have been contacted by a scammer to report it and contact your local police.

Charles Sturt University was contacted about the incident and said it had been resolved. A spokesperson declined to provide any further comment.

Lithgow Mercury