[Sean Camara]

BEWARE: New email scam looks like MyGov and claims to be Service NSW​

BEWARE: New email scam looks like MyGov and claims to be Service NSW
​

An increasing number of scammers in Australia have found a new way to trick Aussies — a new email scam where they send emails using a MyGov-looking profile, claiming to be from Service NSW.

The new government program to tackle phone scams has been implemented lessening the chances of Aussies falling victim to these scammers. However, the new trick now targets Australians via email.

Scammers are now scamming Aussies via email. Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov.
​

According to Scamwatch, the email will ask you to click on a link to claim a $400 subsidy. Upon clicking the link, you will be redirected to a website that looks very similar to MyGov.

In the new report released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), phone-based scams have cost an estimate of $63.6 million in financial losses.

The most recent nationwide scam call in mid-October went so far as to threaten victims with arrest, as the caller claimed to be from the Australian Border Force.

Scammers went so far as threatening victims with arrest as they mask themselves as officials from the Australian Border Force. Credit: Twitter/@Scamwatch_gov.
​

Scammers have also reverted back to text messaging, impersonating Australian banks to get information from Aussies.

Scamwatch warned Aussies to not click any links that are sent by an unknown number claiming that you've made a payment to 'OSKO'.

Scamwatch's tips to avoid falling victim to scammers:
Avoid falling victim to scammers by:

1. Never clicking on a link
2. Do not answer unknown numbers
3. Block any sender with a call, email, or text that seems suspicious

Have you had any experiences with email scams? Share in the comments below so the members of SDC will be aware of them.

 

[Noraya]

Had a lot of Australian Border Control calls (up to 3 a day!! ), all from different numbers, so blocking a n7mber did not help! But also calls with a pre fix from some African or Asian Country, even New Zealand! I dont answer if I don5 recognize the number. If it s real they ll leave a voicemail or call back.
I m more concerned right now with all the spoofing going on! I get calls from people unknown to me who claim they are returning my call (which I never made!!!), but they send me screenshots with date and time of call.

 

[Gil]

I live in WA and have had phone calls from:

 

[Gil]

I live in WA and have had phone calls from: Cranbourne, Victoria 03 5990 3102 about an accident claim - I have not had an accident. Georgia, +995 15542521 about are a suspicious purchase of $69.99 on my Amazon account and this amount will be deducted from my bank account unless I press 1 to talk with a bank representative - I do not have an Amazon account. Twin Valley MN United States +1 (218) 584-7227, re the same reason as Georgia. THEN Indonesia +62 413 746660 re a suspicious purchase of $69.99 on my Amazon account and this amount will be deducted from my bank account unless I press 1 to talk with a bank representative - I do not have an Amazon account. On this occasion I decided to play along with their scam as far as I deemed safe, so I pressed 1 and a foreign speaking lady came on the line. she was speaking that fast that I found it difficult to get a word in. Finally i yelled at her to stop and asked her what details she could give me from my application for the Amazon account. She said "you opened this account from Australia". I said OK, which Australian State - she said that information is private and she cannot access it. I said OK, what is my name - she said Gil Merrett. I said you only got that from my email address, what is my full name - she said it appears here that you use both Gilmore Merrett and Gilligan Merrett - I said Not a bad guess, but nowhere near it lady, I do not know where you get your false information from, and I have recorded this conversation and phone number details and I am reporting it to the authorities, so see you later and commenced to hang up, as I had done for all the others, but she beat me to hang up. My first name Gil is NOT short for Gilmore or Gilligan.

 

[thomas]

I am getting text messages from DHL saying that my order will arrive today
DHL: Your order + will arrive shortly. & http://cptsmarthome.vn/t/?fmg5-yiz :fwo: plus others exactly the same but from different phone numbers
DHL: Your order + will arrive shortly. & http://cptsmarthome.vn/t/?fmg5-yiz :fwo:
DHL: Your order + will arrive shortly. & https://caicafi.portalcidade.com/h/?2zbpxj8-g :fwo:
DHL: Your order + will arrive shortly. & https://copobeta.lawfirmeditorial.com/x/?0-tt4fbc :fwo:
DHL: Your order + will arrive shortly. & http://jinrutaihancai.com/x/?1un-3pff :fwo:
Arriving today: your Amazon package. More info -1g- at https://uptechinf.com/k/?up9-evy4pxq
different phone numbers, different link addresses
NOTE the "+" sign and the "&" sign in the DHL and "at" instead of "@" in theAmaxon

DON'T OPEN THEM, DELETE THEM
if a package is arrivind that you don't know about they will bring it to your door or drop a card in your letterbox advising where to collect it from
other scams I have received by text are speeding fines and accident claims. if you don't recall any of these statments don't worry, you are not getting forgetful in your age, they are SCAMS.

 

[Koru]

Thank you all, for bringing these to our attention. I too am getting messages and calls. How stupid do these idiots think we are? Having said that, how many billions have they taken from us? Maybe Scamwatch needs to be a regular topic?

 

[Liz]

You wish the people doing these scams would put their talent to better use and do something good for society.

 

[Jan A]

I live in WA and have had phone calls from: Cranbourne, Victoria 03 5990 3102 about an accident claim - I have not had an accident. Georgia, +995 15542521 about are a suspicious purchase of $69.99 on my Amazon account and this amount will be deducted from my bank account unless I press 1 to talk with a bank representative - I do not have an Amazon account. Twin Valley MN United States +1 (218) 584-7227, re the same reason as Georgia. THEN Indonesia +62 413 746660 re a suspicious purchase of $69.99 on my Amazon account and this amount will be deducted from my bank account unless I press 1 to talk with a bank representative - I do not have an Amazon account. On this occasion I decided to play along with their scam as far as I deemed safe, so I pressed 1 and a foreign speaking lady came on the line. she was speaking that fast that I found it difficult to get a word in. Finally i yelled at her to stop and asked her what details she could give me from my application for the Amazon account. She said "you opened this account from Australia". I said OK, which Australian State - she said that information is private and she cannot access it. I said OK, what is my name - she said Gil Merrett. I said you only got that from my email address, what is my full name - she said it appears here that you use both Gilmore Merrett and Gilligan Merrett - I said Not a bad guess, but nowhere near it lady, I do not know where you get your false information from, and I have recorded this conversation and phone number details and I am reporting it to the authorities, so see you later and commenced to hang up, as I had done for all the others, but she beat me to hang up. My first name Gil is NOT short for Gilmore or Gilligan.

It is distressing that people are being harassed in their own homes by scammers trying to scare you into engaging with them. You did well letting that woman know you were not about to proceed until she could give some identifying information. You make a good point that these scammers get your name from your email address. I use my teddy bear's name for my email address. Occasionally I get emails addressed to my teddy bear! A dead give-away that it is a scam.

 

[Jan A]

In a sophisticated and dangerous scam, people are receiving demands for money under a Small Claims Court application. The claim will be sent to your address but probably using a name that is not yours because the scammers pick out the address but do not know the resident's name. The amount will be a little under $5,000 because that is the maximum amount dealt with in Small Claims Court. Under the law, anyone can make an application against another person in Small Claims Court up to $5,000 with only a sworn statement setting out why the money is owed. Then the onus is on the recipient of the notice to respond to the claim. The claim sent under this scam will be something to the effect that the business making the claim sold goods to the occupant of that address and they are chasing up payment by way of the Small Claims Court. Fake invoices will accompany the claim. The court will then raise a claim against the occupant of that address.

If you receive a notice like this, do not ignore it! This is a claim that scammers have made through the court system, setting in motion a legal claim against you. You need to take immediate action. You must complete the appropriate response form and have your signature witnessed by a JP (there is usually one at the courts on weekdays from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) At the same time, get the JP to certify a copy of your rate notice or other proof that you are the occupant of the property on the claim. Then go to the court’s enquiry counter and submit your response and proof of occupancy. State in your written response that you do not know the person whose name appears on the claim, they do not live at that address, you have never received any goods from the claimant and you have no knowledge about the sale in question. If you fail to act on the claim, the next step is that the Sheriff’s Office will send officers to take goods from your home to the value of the claim and the money will be given to the scammer. You will have great difficulty in fighting the claim at this point as you did not respond to the claim. It is outrageous that scammers are using the legal system against innocent people, but that is what is happening. Defend yourself and defeat their attempts to scam you. Stay alert. This scam happened to a friend of mine. She later discovered it had happened to others who had suddenly found the Sheriff's officers on their doorstep. By taking the actions described, she stopped the claim.

 

[Jan A]

An aggressive phone scam happening is a call with a pre-recorded message claiming that the Tax Office is about to arrest you for money owing. They frighten you into talking with them and giving them your banking details. If you get a call like this, hang up immediately. First, the Tax Office does not have the authority to arrest people. Second, if you owe tax money, you will be advised in writing and given time to pay. Third, the Tax Office will not call someone with a threatening recorded message and then ask for account numbers over the phone. This is a scam. Hang up even before the recorded message is finished.

 

[Jan A]

Email is a breeding ground for scams. One of the most used scam is that you will receive an email from someone purporting to be a solicitor seeking the lost heir of a wealthy individual, maybe a doctor. The email will say your family name is the same as this individual and you could be in line to receive a lot of money. If you contact them, they will eventually tell you that there will be a "finder's fee" or a processing charge to be paid before the inheritance can be given to you. Then they ask for your bank details so they can take the money from your account. This is a scam. Do not respond to the emails. If you are a possible heir of a deceased estate, the executor will contact you by letter.

 

[Jan A]

A nasty phone scam going around is that the caller says there has been suspicious activity on your credit card. The caller claims to be from the security department of Visa and Mastercard (as if they have the same "security department"). Then they ask whether you made transactions in some name you have never heard of. If you ask which credit card they are calling about, they say they are “not allowed” to tell you. Then they ask what bank you are with, claiming they want to “verify” your account information. This is a scam. If you get a call like this, hang up immediately. Credit card companies do not operate this way. They will not ask you to “verify” anything over the phone. If you are concerned there may be unauthorised charges on your card, check your online statement or go to the enquiry counter at your bank.

 

[Jan A]

Scammers will send emails in the name of a company saying that your “subscription” is going to be renewed and they have charged a sum to your credit card. Last year, I received an email from a scammer claiming they were McAfee, an internet security protection provider. The email provided an invoice for about $A280 with an impossibly long invoice number comprising a jumble of letters and numbers. McAfee is a genuine company. I contacted McAfee in the US via their enquiry line to say I did not subscribe to them and this renewal notice did not apply to me. The person on the phone was very helpful. He confirmed I was not a subscriber and that the number given on the invoice was not one of theirs. When I checked my credit card statement, there was a “pending” charge in the name of McAfee, clearly the scammer. I cancelled the credit card immediately. Cancelling the card does not always stop a “pending” charge. However, this time it worked. When I received a new card and checked the account, the charge was no longer there. An inspection of the email sent by the scammer revealed several grammar and keying errors. Clicking on the email address of the sender revealed a different name to McAfee. There was no phone number provided to enquire about the invoice. These are signs of a scam. As the scammer had obtained my credit card number from somewhere, changing the card prevented any further problems from that scammer.

 

[Jan A]

One way to identify scam calls is that, when you pick up the phone and say hello, there will be silence at the other end for between one and two seconds. Then someone will come on the line and you will hear office noise in the background. This happens because the computers dial sequential numbers until they get one that answers. Then the operator is alerted to answer. But there is a slight gap in between. This gap should alert you to the fact that this is probably a scam call. Be ready to hang up. Do not feel the need to be polite, just hang up.

The bottom line is never, ever give your bank details to anyone who calls you on the phone. This includes “charities” or “appeals”. You don’t know who these callers are or what they will do with your information. Protect yourself against scammers by not giving any bank details to people who call you asking for money, no matter how worthy they make their cause sound. If you get a call purporting to be from a charity and you think you might like to make a donation to that charity, look up their website or call their listed number and ask how you make a donation. Tell callers you do not donate money over the phone as it could be a scam. Usually they back off. If they persist, just hang up.

Similarly, you may find people coming to your door "collecting" for charities. Instead of asking for cash, they ask you to give them your account details so they can set up a regular contribution to the charity to support their work. One of these who turned up at my place showed me a list of four well-known charities that he was "collecting" for and asked me to choose the one I would like to support. Then he asked for my bank account details. This is a scam. If someone turns up at your place and asks for banking details, close the door on them. Do not engage with them. Do not feel the need to be courteous. You may also want to warn your neighbours if scammers like this are targeting your area.

 

[Jan A]

Today (28/1/22) I received a written notice in my letter box purporting to be from Australia Post in Melbourne and addressed to "Sender" at my address. It was an invoice for "Underpaid Mail" claiming that I had not put enough postage on an item I had sent "recently" (no date or recipient listed). The invoice said that Australia Post had delivered the item "in good faith" and were now billing for the postage at $8.30 which could be paid by BillPay. Unfortunately for the person sending this invoice, I have not sent anything "recently" by Australia Post apart from a few Christmas letters, and I put the required stamps on all of them. I have seen scams like this before sent as emails where scammers demand unpaid freight costs for a parcel which they claim will be delivered after the postage is paid. Of course, there is no parcel. It is a scam. If you get a notice like this, do not pay it without checking first at your post office.

 

[Jan A]

A few years back, a friend alerted me to a phone scam where the scammers are trying to trick you into giving them access to your internet so they can get into your online banking or other activities. The scam begins with a person calling with the claim that they have been asked to phone you by your internet provider. I subsequently received one of these calls from a man with a heavy accent saying he was calling at the request of my internet provider. I recognized the scam and asked him, "Who is my internet provider?" He said "Your internet provider, the one who provides your internet." I said, "Yes, who is that?" He kept repeating, "Your internet provider." He was getting more furious as I continued. I said that if my internet provider had asked him to call, then he would know who they are and could tell me. He kept repeating, "Your internet provider." I said "This is a scam. Goodbye." Then I had great pleasure in hanging up in his ear!

 

[Liz]

I am finding Telstra is saying when a call comes in "possible scam" so I just decline the call on my mobile, if they are genuine they will leave a message. Also the number of we are not able to deliver your parcel texts in the last few days is so annoying, just delete them because I have a My Australia post account so know where my parcels are. I am getting tired of all this but so glad Telstra is on the ball most of the time.

 

[Tervueren]

Thank you to everyone who is taking the time to inform Members of these awful scams that are going around. If we can alert everyone to what is happening, more folks will be aware and therefore not give out their banking or credit card details to anyone who phones them with these unscrupulous stories.

 

[ZemoTwo]

One way to identify scam calls is that, when you pick up the phone and say hello, there will be silence at the other end for between one and two seconds. Then someone will come on the line and you will hear office noise in the background. This happens because the computers dial sequential numbers until they get one that answers. Then the operator is alerted to answer. But there is a slight gap in between. This gap should alert you to the fact that this is probably a scam call. Be ready to hang up. Do not feel the need to be polite, just hang up.

The bottom line is never, ever give your bank details to anyone who calls you on the phone. This includes “charities” or “appeals”. You don’t know who these callers are or what they will do with your information. Protect yourself against scammers by not giving any bank details to people who call you asking for money, no matter how worthy they make their cause sound. If you get a call purporting to be from a charity and you think you might like to make a donation to that charity, look up their website or call their listed number and ask how you make a donation. Tell callers you do not donate money over the phone as it could be a scam. Usually they back off. If they persist, just hang up.

Similarly, you may find people coming to your door "collecting" for charities. Instead of asking for cash, they ask you to give them your account details so they can set up a regular contribution to the charity to support their work. One of these who turned up at my place showed me a list of four well-known charities that he was "collecting" for and asked me to choose the one I would like to support. Then he asked for my bank account details. This is a scam. If someone turns up at your place and asks for banking details, close the door on them. Do not engage with them. Do not feel the need to be courteous. You may also want to warn your neighbours if scammers like this are targeting your area.

If I get one of these calls from a fairly obvious scam mob (the silence at the start is a usual dead give-away), I just wait until the person at the other end starts the spiel, complete with a proper-sounding "English" name like John or Christopher or Charles or Elizabeth or Gloria or Janet (pick whichever one you can think of) and usually with a foreign accent of some kind, I just let out with a laugh, then giggle again when he/she continues, laugh again and wait. He/she will often ask, "Why you laugh?" The interruption to their train of thought takes them a little while to overcome, so they start again. "Hello, this is [whoever], from [whatever]." That's when I hang up. It must frustrate the hell out of them if they have any conscience at all. Tough.

 

[Willie]

I live in WA and have had phone calls from:

Me too , every other day . Please don’t get involved with Crypto Currency schemes . They promise of untold riches but really deliver nothing & keep your deposit . I have never met an honest broker & block them when I can .