New Scam Alert: Criminals Exploiting Aussies' Trust to Steal Millions of Dollars
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In today's world, we are more connected than ever thanks to the internet and social media. While this has made our lives more convenient and efficient, it has created new opportunities for criminals to exploit unsuspecting victims.
At SDC, we are committed to informing our members about potential threats that could jeopardise their security.
That's why we want to draw attention to one such scam that has resurfaced and is once again posing a threat to people's safety.
The NSW Police issued an urgent warning about a scam that is targeting vulnerable Australians.
Remote-access scams, a type of criminal deception, typically begin with an innocent-seeming approach.
It starts with an individual who pretends to represent a trusted company or financial institution and contacts you, asking for remote access to your phone or computer.
NSW Police said: ‘They often use the excuse that the device is sending out an error message or has a virus that they need to “fix urgently”.’
However, this is a deceptive tactic, and scammers often use various software applications or programs to gain access to the victim's device.
Once they have control, they can potentially access sensitive financial and personal information and use it to transfer funds out of the victim's account or steal their private data.
This scam already took a staggering $21.7 million from Aussie victims in 2022 and $2.4 million so far this year.
Scammers have made text messages their primary mode of attack, with reports indicating that Australians received over 79,000 scam text messages in 2022 alone, leading to losses of over $28.5 million.
Fortunately, telecommunication companies have taken action by blocking over 90 million scam text messages since the new anti-SMS scam rules came into effect last year.
Despite this initiative, it was revealed that more Aussies are still falling victim to scams. According to Scamwatch data, in 2020 there were approximately 216,000 reported cases of scams, resulting in losses of over $175 million.
Shockingly, in the following year, the number of reported cases increased to around 239,000, and the losses more than tripled, totalling more than $568 million.
This highlights the need for increased vigilance and caution to protect oneself from these malicious activities.
Here are five tips to stay safe from this scam:
• Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer or device.
• Don’t give your personal, credit card or online bank account details over the phone to people you don’t know and can’t identify.
• Check for any warning signs – like the person not being able to verify your account details, or asking you to enter personal information such as your password or bank details.
• Be careful to protect your personal information online, such as ensuring no one can access your computer or device.
• If in doubt, don’t click on suspicious links or attach unfamiliar files.
Members, it’s crucial that we all stay aware of the emergence of this scam and don’t fall for it! By being mindful of the tips we’ve shared above, we can help protect ourselves and our loved ones.
We also recommend regularly checking out the Scam Watch section of the SDC website for fresh information on the latest scams and tips on how to protect yourself from them.
Stay safe out there, folks! Also, feel free to share this article with your friends and loved ones so they can get informed of this scam as well.
At SDC, we are committed to informing our members about potential threats that could jeopardise their security.
That's why we want to draw attention to one such scam that has resurfaced and is once again posing a threat to people's safety.
The NSW Police issued an urgent warning about a scam that is targeting vulnerable Australians.
A scamming scheme is reported to be re-emerging, targeting unsuspecting Aussies and exploiting their trust in credible companies. Credit: Pexels/Gustavo Fring.
Remote-access scams, a type of criminal deception, typically begin with an innocent-seeming approach.
It starts with an individual who pretends to represent a trusted company or financial institution and contacts you, asking for remote access to your phone or computer.
NSW Police said: ‘They often use the excuse that the device is sending out an error message or has a virus that they need to “fix urgently”.’
However, this is a deceptive tactic, and scammers often use various software applications or programs to gain access to the victim's device.
Once they have control, they can potentially access sensitive financial and personal information and use it to transfer funds out of the victim's account or steal their private data.
This scam already took a staggering $21.7 million from Aussie victims in 2022 and $2.4 million so far this year.
Scammers have made text messages their primary mode of attack, with reports indicating that Australians received over 79,000 scam text messages in 2022 alone, leading to losses of over $28.5 million.
Fortunately, telecommunication companies have taken action by blocking over 90 million scam text messages since the new anti-SMS scam rules came into effect last year.
Despite this initiative, it was revealed that more Aussies are still falling victim to scams. According to Scamwatch data, in 2020 there were approximately 216,000 reported cases of scams, resulting in losses of over $175 million.
Shockingly, in the following year, the number of reported cases increased to around 239,000, and the losses more than tripled, totalling more than $568 million.
This highlights the need for increased vigilance and caution to protect oneself from these malicious activities.
Here are five tips to stay safe from this scam:
• Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer or device.
• Don’t give your personal, credit card or online bank account details over the phone to people you don’t know and can’t identify.
• Check for any warning signs – like the person not being able to verify your account details, or asking you to enter personal information such as your password or bank details.
• Be careful to protect your personal information online, such as ensuring no one can access your computer or device.
• If in doubt, don’t click on suspicious links or attach unfamiliar files.
Members, it’s crucial that we all stay aware of the emergence of this scam and don’t fall for it! By being mindful of the tips we’ve shared above, we can help protect ourselves and our loved ones.
We also recommend regularly checking out the Scam Watch section of the SDC website for fresh information on the latest scams and tips on how to protect yourself from them.
Stay safe out there, folks! Also, feel free to share this article with your friends and loved ones so they can get informed of this scam as well.
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