Australian Community Media has compiled a list of current scams.
Threats to life, arrest or other and identity theft have been the main scams going around this week. Find out more:
Every year, thousands of Australians are targeted by scams, whether it be online, via phone, mail or even in person.
The Mandurah Mail has compiled a list of current scams identified on sites such as scamwatch.gov.au and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's website dedicated to informing people about fraudulent and dishonest activities:
Threats to life, arrest or other
- Scammers use threats designed to frighten you into handing over money, and can include threats to your life.
- Scammer may call you and pressure you into paying immediately, threaten you with arrest, or say they will send the police to your house if you refuse. Scammers will also send emails claiming you owe money for things like a speeding fine, tax office debt or unpaid bill.
- Scammers have been known to target vulnerable people, such as the elderly and newly arrived migrants. They will often impersonate government officials from agencies such as the Department of Home Affairs, the Services Australia or Centrelink, and the Australian Federal Police.
- Scammers will tell you that there are problems with your immigration papers or visa status, and threaten deportation unless fees are paid to correct the errors.
Identity theft
- Target receives an email, text or a phone call out of the blue asking them to 'validate' or 'confirm' personal details by clicking on a link or opening an attachment. The message may contain grammatical errors or be poorly written.
- Alternatively there are unexpected pop-ups on your computer or mobile device asking if you want to allow software to run or you receive a friend request from someone you don't know on social media.
- The scammer then gains access to your information by exploiting security weaknesses on your device.
- Scammers can assume your identity on social media to swindle other unsuspecting victims out of money or use a stolen identity to apply for credit cards or loans or to steal money from your bank account.
