‘Phishing’ scams are emails that trick victims into giving out personal information. Phishing scams are generally carried out over email. The scammer creates a realistic looking message that appears to have come from the victim’s bank, telecommunication provider, social networking site or other business. The most common information the scammer aims to steal is bank and credit card numbers that allow them to steal money from their victim. Avoid this scam by learning how it works, reading what to look out for and following the tips below.
 

The email will look genuine and use what appears to be a genuine address. In reality the scammer has copied the business’s logo and message format. The email will typically contain a link to a website with a similar URL to that of the real business. The website will also appear genuine. This link will ask for the details the scammer wants to steal.
 

What to look out for:

• Emails that appear to be from your financial institution or telecommunications provider, even if the email appears to be genuine.
• An email that doesn’t address you by your proper name.
• Grammar and spelling mistakes in emails.
• Claims that your details are needed for security updates, maintenance, to verify your account or to prevent a threat of fraud. Phishing emails may even tell the victim that they are due a refund, or that they have been overcharged. 

Tips:

• Never send money or give your details to someone you don’t know and trust.
• Never reveal your details to websites when you get the link from an email that appears to be from a business.
• Do not open emails that appear to be suspicious.
• Never open links or files found in spam emails.
• Never access an internet account from a link in an email. Always type the address yourself, or use a bookmarked URL.
• Never ring phone numbers found in emails, always find the number yourself using a trusted source.
• Ask a friend or relative if you are suspicious about the contents of an email.
• A legitimate institution will never send an email asking for your details.

‘Card skimming’ is the illegal copying of information from credit cards. It is similar to the ‘phishing scam’ but ‘card skimming’ doesn’t take place online. Avoid becoming a victim of this scam by learning how it works, what to look out for and following the tips below.

Scammers steal victim’s details then run up charges on the victim’s bank account. After the scammer has skimmed the victim’s card they create a fake card with the victim’s details on it.

Scammers can also use card skimming as a means for identity theft. By stealing personal information scammers can even take out loans in the victim’s name.

What to look out for:

• A shop assistant that takes your card out of sight when processing your transaction.
• Being asked to swipe your card through more than one machine.
• Unusual or unauthorised transactions on your account.

 
Tips:

• Watch out for anything suspicious about the card slots at ATM’s, particularly attached devices.
• Keep your credit cards safe.
• Never share your PIN.
• Never keep a written copy of your PIN.
• Report suspicious transactions on your bank statement to your bank.
• Choose passwords and PIN’s that are difficult to guess.

Following the repeal of the carbon tax, consumers and businesses should be alert of scammers. There have been recent reports of scammers taking advantage of dollar figures quoted by the media about how much consumers and businesses could save after the repeal of the carbon tax. Don’t make yourself a target, learn how the scam works and read tips and what to look out for below. 

This scam involves calls or emails to victims with false claims that they are entitled to money upfront. Scammers have often used government programs and announcements to trick victims, this is simply a variation of that old scam. The scammer will pretend to be from a government department in order to appear legitimate. Scammers will try anything to con victims out of their money, some common claims include that money is due because of a tax refund or concession, a one-off payment, a discount or even a bonus. Once the scammer has a victim on the hook they will ask for money via wire transfer, or for the victim’s bank details.

What to look out for:

• Phone calls or emails out of the blue from someone claiming to be from a government department or business.
• Claims that you are entitled to money because of the carbon tax repeal.
• Administration or other upfront fees in order to receive payments.
• Similar scams using other government programs or announcements.
• Requests for wire transfers. Money sent in this manner is nearly impossible to recover. 

Tips:

• If you receive a phone call in the manner above, hang up.
• If you are unsure if you are being scammed, talk to a trusted friend.
• If you are unsure of a caller’s identity contact the body they claim to be from directly. Use a number independently found, not one provided by the caller.
• Never give your bank details out over the phone unless you made the call and the number came from a trusted source.
• If you think you might have provided your bank details to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately.

Missed call scams start when the victim receives a phone call that they didn’t answer in time. These scams can cost the victim a lot of money without the victim even realising they’ve been scammed. Read the tips and what to look out for below and learn how the scam works to help protect yourself.

The scammer first calls the victim and hangs up so quickly that the victim has no chance of answering the call. The victim’s phone will register a missed call to a number the victim doesn’t recognise. If the victim calls the number back they will be redirected to a premium rate number without their knowledge. This will charge money to the victim’s bill every minute the scammer keeps them on the phone.

What to look out for:

• Missed calls from numbers you don’t recognise.
• Calls telling you that you won a prize and that in order to claim it, you must ring a provided number.
• A missed call when you didn’t hear your phone ring.
• Numbers beginning with 190, these are premium rate numbers.
• When you return a missed call, you hear a recorded message. 

Tips:

• Ignore missed calls from numbers you don’t recognise.
• Be careful of phone numbers beginning with 190, or texts from numbers starting with 19. These are premium numbers, if you call or text them, you will be charged an additional rate.
• If you are unsure about a phone number, ask a trusted friend or relative.
• Some phone companies can put a bar on premium rate numbers, if you are worried, or you frequently receive these scams, contact your phone company and find out.