If you receive any of the following emails or text messages that:
1. Ask for money. (Literally! Or asks you to click on something to receive money) … don’t open/click/respond.
2. Claims that you have a delivery or package waiting for you … it is usually not the case check with the post office tracking number, or call the person/place that you have ordered from or has sent you something.
3. Claims that your software (program that you use) is out of date - it is usually not the case. Call a family member or friend to confirm. Don’t click on anything
4. Offer great deals if you order right now. This is usually nonsense and often the company is not legit (authentic)
5. Have misspelled words or typos. There are often typos in messages or emails. Or if not the grammar is incorrect. That is usually the first sign that the email or message is nonsense.
6. Appear to be from the ATO or any other government agency demanding money immediately. The ATO and government agencies don’t text things or email things like that. If you are concerned call the bank, ATO, etc
7. State that your account will be closed immediately then ask for personal information - there is usually no reason for this, it’s just to get information off a person. This may be an attempt to phish or to attempt identify theft at a later stage.
5. Appear (seem to be) to be from a friend or family member and have a link to somewhere else with no message. Check with the person if you can, otherwise ignore.
Please don’t click on or answer any of these sms(s) or emails.
Check with a friend, family member, company, or have a look at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/
If you look at the sender of the email it is usually dodgy and the sms (text message) has either no phone number, an international one, or an unlisted one.
Here is a little black book of scams to keep handy: https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/1557_Little%20Black%20Book%20of%20Scams%202019_FA%20WEB.pdf
Navigating scams can be difficult. There are emails and messages that sound/seem genuinely helpful as scammers are attempting to trick people.
If you think you’ve entered your credit card or account details to a phishing (or fake or the wrong) site, contact your financial institution (bank) immediately.
Report scams to the ACCC via the Scamwatch report a scam page. Your report helps to warn people about current scams, monitor trends, and disrupt scams where possible. Please include details of the scam contact you received, for example the email, or screenshot.
You can contact IDCare on 1800 595 160 or via www.idcare.org for support if you believe your personal information has been put at risk.
You can lodge a report with the Australian Cyber Security Centre's ReportCyber.
Find more information on where to get help if you think you have been scammed on the Scamwatch website.
Remember:
Don’t click on links in emails or messages, or open attachments, from people or organisations you don’t know. Even if you do know them, check first!
Be especially cautious if messages are very enticing or appealing (they seem too good to be true) or threaten you to make you take a suggested action.
Before you click a link (in an email or on social media, instant messages, other web pages, or other means), hover over that link to see the actual web address it will take you to (usually shown at the bottom of the browser window). If you do not recognise or trust the address, try searching for relevant key terms in a web browser. Search on Google for the company name, the offer, even on the wording they use and generally you may not find anything, or find that others have reported it as a scam By searching online, you can find the article, video, or web page without directly clicking on the suspicious link.
If you're not sure, talk through the suspicious message or email with a friend or family member, or check its legitimacy by contacting the relevant business or organisation (using contact details sourced from the official company website).
Understand that your financial institution and other large organisations (such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, PayPal, banks and government organisations) would never send you a link and ask you to enter your personal or financial details.
Use safe behaviour online. Learn how to use email safely and browse the web safely.
Stay informed on the latest threats – sign up for the ACSC Alert Service. You can also find information about the latest scams on the Australian Government’s Scamwatch website.
Here’s a lesson on avoiding spam and phishing.
If you are not in Australia use a search engine to find out how to report scams in your country.
New Zealand - two options to report here
The UK -has a few options. If you have a local library, please call or seek advice from them as they usually have sources and resources to help you report, to use the internet safely and wisely, and may even have lessons and classes available. Librarians and libraries are the best!
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