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Cruel new scam that urges people to get tested for COVID leaves thousands of Australians victimised – here’s how to avoid it
As the days pass, cyber criminals are only getting more and more sophisticated with the tactics they use to prey on innocent people. Recently, Australians have been urged to be wary of another new scam that warns people to get tested for COVID-19.
Services Australia, previously Centrelink, issued the alert, detailing a fake message claiming to be from Medicare has been circulating and directing recipients to a dangerous link. The link then prompts those who opened it to order 'a free PCR kit'.
The messages only started popping up in June 2022.
The text reads, “Medicare: You have been in close contact with someone who has contracted Omicron. You must order a free PCR Test Kit.”
Services Australia warned people to avoid clicking the link as it could contain malware. They advised others to delete the messages immediately instead.
Beware of cyber criminals! Image Credit: Alvarez Technology Group
“Scammers may ask you to confirm your details by opening an internet link or responding with personal information,” Services Australia added.
“We'll never ask you to click on links or attachments, except for links: on our website, on our official social media accounts, and in your myGov inbox once you've signed in.”
To say that the escalating amount of COVID-19 related scams is heartbreaking is an understatement.
“Scamwatch has received over 6415 scam reports mentioning COVID with more than $9,800,000 in reported losses since the outbreak of COVID-19,” the ACCC website read.
“Common scams include phishing for personal information, online shopping, and superannuation scams,”
Phishing scams involve criminals stealing sensitive information, such as online banking and credit card details as well as passwords.
“Scammers are pretending to be government agencies providing information on COVID-19 through text messages and emails ‘phishing’ for your information,” the ACCC continued.
“These contain malicious links and attachments designed to steal your personal and financial information.”
Watch out for similar text messages! Image Credit: DailyMail
Some of the scammers may demand payment for vaccines or for mailing vaccines. Others try to manipulate people to transfer money as 'an investment opportunity in the Pfizer vaccine'.
There are also multiple counterfeit COVID-19 surveys that look genuine.
Anyone who has fallen victim to these scams is urged to report the incident as soon as possible.
“Scamwatch urges everyone to be cautious and remain alert to coronavirus-related scams,” the ACCC website stated.
“Scammers are hoping that you have let your guard down. Do not provide your personal, banking or superannuation details to strangers who have approached you.”
Stay on top of all the recent scams by checking SDC’s ‘Scam Watch’ forum regularly. You may also learn the telltale signs of a scam by reading our e-Book on Cyber Safety here.
How are you staying cyber safe? What are your thoughts on this new COVID-related scam? Share them with us in the comments!
Have you ever been scammed before? Hear about other people’s experiences to gain awareness with the video below:
Video Credit: ACCCgovau
