Click and a miss: Aussie business owner’s email scam nightmare rolls into cybersecurity alert

In today's digital age, where convenience and connectivity are at the forefront of our daily lives, the threat of cybercrime looms larger than ever.

Business owners, in particular, need to be vigilant as they are prime targets for sophisticated scams that can lead to devastating financial losses and breaches of personal information.

The story of this Aussie business owner serves as a stark reminder of the perils lurking in our inboxes.


Business owner and 10-pin bowling professional George Frilingos cautioned others about email scams after hackers stole his details, costing him hundreds of dollars and access to his social media accounts, and then listed the information on the dark web.

Despite being vigilant about email links and potential scams, he fell victim to an email scam that seemed innocuous at first glance.

Mr Frilingos had recently made an overseas purchase and was expecting an email receipt when he received the scam email.


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Aussie business owner George Frilingos was targeted by an email scam that compromised both his personal and business accounts. Credit: Shutterstock


‘I clicked a receipt which I believed was going to show me the Australian amount of what I’d purchased,’ he recalled.

‘It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I didn’t think anything of it.’


Simply opening the attachment gave overseas hackers access to his account, and the situation quickly escalated from there.

‘It happened very quickly,’ Mr Frilingos narrated.

‘Within 24 hours, I’d lost access to my Gmail, Facebook, Instagram.’

He even discovered a $360 charge on his credit card. The hackers had not only infiltrated his personal accounts but also his business pages, effectively locking him out of his digital life.

‘Within 24 hours, I’d lost everything,’ he lamented.


Mr Frilingos enlisted the help of a private cybersecurity firm and successfully regained control of his accounts.

After some negotiation with his bank, he also managed to recover the $360.

‘I was very lucky I got onto it as quickly as I did,’ he shared.

‘I would have stood to lose a lot more.’

Mr Frilingos then urged others to stay informed and follow the advice of cybersecurity experts.

‘As simple as clicking on an attachment on an email, you can lose everything really quickly,’ he cautioned.

‘I just can’t believe it actually happened to me.’


This incident underscores the importance of cybersecurity awareness and the need for robust protective measures.

Nick Guy, a SafetyNet Cyber Security expert, reported receiving over 200 inquiries a week from Australians who have fallen prey to hackers.

His advice is clear and urgent: enable two-factor authentication, stay vigilant against phishing emails and texts, and practice strong password management.

‘We see over and over again the client uses one password for everything,’ he noted.

The dark web is a murky underworld where stolen details can circulate, and once someone's identity is compromised, it can take up to 18 months to clear their name.

The repercussions of identity theft are long-lasting and can tarnish not just your financial health but also your reputation.


As cyber threats continue to escalate, the need for vigilance has never been greater.

Following a warning from a Brisbane business owner who fell victim to an email scam and had his details compromised, Australians are now turning to firms like SafetyNet Cyber Security to recover hacked social media accounts, often paying substantial fees for assistance.

These incidents highlight just how vulnerable our online presence can be.
Key Takeaways
  • Aussie business owner George Frilingos fell victim to an email scam that compromised his personal and business accounts.
  • By clicking on a fraudulent attachment, hackers gained access to his accounts and made unauthorised charges on his credit card.
  • With the help of a private cybersecurity business, Frilingos was able to regain control of his accounts and recover the money from the bank.
  • Cybersecurity expert Nick Guy emphasised the importance of two-factor authentication, awareness of phishing attempts, and strong password management to prevent identity theft and hacking.
Have you or someone you know been affected by a similar scam? How did you handle it, and what lessons did you learn? We invite you to share your experiences and tips on cybersecurity in the comments below.
 
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I’ve just made an online payment to the ATO and requested a receipt. I received an email shortly afterwards with a hyperlink to the receipt attached to my MyGov account. How are we supposed to avoid scams when our own government departments use hyperlinks in this manner?
 
Seems to me that until Govts ban or censor any online transactions from the regions these scams originate, that their local authorities will do anything about these crooks. Making their local Govts responsible for these operators is the only way as we have no jurisdiction on foreign soil. We have all seen on tele these establishments and how they operate. nail them. Likewise any Aust ones need to be shutdown and jailed.
 
I learnt fast when I started getting email from companies wanting to give me refunds for things I did not purchase. They started becoming very sophisticated, tracking shops where I visited. eg. Coles and Woolies or Office works. They send attachments which looks very realistic. DO NOT FALL FOR IT.

I found it useful, to check the email id of the sender. Often is an gmail or hotmail or yahoo email id. I just delete.

These scammers prey on the greed and vulernability both old and young.
Stay safe and Be Alert.
 
I’ve just made an online payment to the ATO and requested a receipt. I received an email shortly afterwards with a hyperlink to the receipt attached to my MyGov account. How are we supposed to avoid scams when our own government departments use hyperlinks in this manner?
Check the email id. Scammers cannot encript email id, but use their ATO as their name.
 
I’ve just made an online payment to the ATO and requested a receipt. I received an email shortly afterwards with a hyperlink to the receipt attached to my MyGov account. How are we supposed to avoid scams when our own government departments use hyperlinks in this manner?
Well YOU initiated a transaction and seconds later you received an email, what's the chance of that happening at that precise time? Extremely unlikely.

Also, you can check where emails come from, look at the senders email address, that will say sometime like "ato.gov.au", if it is some other, totally unrelated address it's not real. Like an Gmail, Hotmail address for example.
 
Yes I’m under attack via my telephones. I now don’t use my home phone because scammers usually hang up after they hear my message bank instructions, and the other day I had 14 calls on my mobile (unannounced) in 10 minutes - quite frustrating and time consuming and my home phone is almost a waste of time judging fro
The few authentic messages I receive
 
Yes I’m under attack via my telephones. I now don’t use my home phone because scammers usually hang up after they hear my message bank instructions, and the other day I had 14 calls on my mobile (unannounced) in 10 minutes - quite frustrating and time consuming and my home phone is almost a waste of time judging fro
The few authentic messages I receive
Likewise, my home phone is only kept for 2 relatives who live in areas with sh*tty reception. All other calls to that phone are charities and overseas calls from a variety of countries. As we have no overseas contacts we ignore the calls. Their favourite time to call is, of course, dinner time.
 
Yes I’m under attack via my telephones. I now don’t use my home phone because scammers usually hang up after they hear my message bank instructions, and the other day I had 14 calls on my mobile (unannounced) in 10 minutes - quite frustrating and time consuming and my home phone is almost a waste of time judging fro
The few authentic messages I receive
There are apps that you can put on mobile phones to check if the phone call is ligit.
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM COMMONWEALTH BANK!
IS BACKING A PILOT PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY AP GATE AI THAT USES A BOT TO CHASE DOWN SCAMMERS, RETRIEVING THEIR BANK DETAILS AND OTHER IDENTIFABLE INFORMATION. I'm collecting phone numbers that have rang me from afar field as UK and NZ but mostly in au, I've got 67 phone numbers all mobile numbers.
 
Mine just says suspected spam or identified as ie telemarketer or something similar.
This is due to setting on your phone app which does as it is intended to filter out spam calls. Unfortunately it also filters out calls that you may want to receive. I ordered an internet line upgrade from Telstra, who needed to ring me back. Phone saw it as a SPAM call and blocked it. Had to change the setting.
 
Mine just says suspected spam or identified as ie telemarketer or something similar.
This is due to setting on your phone app which does as it is intended to filter out spam calls. Unfortunately it also filters out calls that you may want to receive. I ordered an internet line upgrade from Telstra, who needed to ring me back. Phone saw it as a SPAM call and blocked it.Had to change the setting.
 
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM COMMONWEALTH BANK!
IS BACKING A PILOT PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY AP GATE AI THAT USES A BOT TO CHASE DOWN SCAMMERS, RETRIEVING THEIR BANK DETAILS AND OTHER IDENTIFABLE INFORMATION. I'm collecting phone numbers that have rang me from afar field as UK and NZ but mostly in au, I've got 67 phone numbers all mobile numbers.
1726797958505.png
Look at this machine. It is a sim box. They are all sim cards, each with a different number. AFP found dozens of such machines in Sydney. They were being used by scammers.

I don't want to burst your bubble but collecting your telephone numbers is pointless when criminal gangs (who have the ill-gotten funds to pay for this technology) use thousands of these sim boxes.

Why? Because cyber crime generates BIG DOLLEROOOOONII!
 

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