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New scam targets Australians who have previously fallen victim to cybercrimes — Here’s everything you need to know
Authorities have warned of a new barrage of scams targeting Australians who have previously fallen victim to cybercrime.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a warning to vulnerable Aussies, informing them of a new scam that promises to recover funds from fraudulent transactions.
How does the new scam work exactly?
While the scheme sounds like it does good rather than harm, the scam asks prospective victims to make an initial payment for the process.
Basically, scammers randomly contact previous cyber scam victims using an account that poses as a trusted organisation — such as a law firm, fraud task force, or a government agency — and offer their money recovery services before asking prospects to provide identity documents and to make an initial payment.
Authorities also noted that the scammers provide official-looking websites and fake testimonials to appear legitimate to victims.
Credit: Twitter/@scamwatch_gov
It was also said that the conmen request remote access to computers or smartphones.
In 2022 alone, ACCC's Scamwatch reported that they received 66 reports of money recovery scams — an increase of 725 per cent of the number of cases reported in the same period last year.
Australians have also lost over $270,000 — an increase of 301 per cent — from the money recovery scams this year.
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard described the money recovery scams as "particularly nasty" as they victimise people who have previously been scammed out of money.
She advised: "If you get contacted out of the blue by someone offering to help recover scam losses for a fee, it is a scam."
"Hang up the phone, delete the email and ignore any further contacts.”
"Don't give financial details or copies of identity documents to anyone who you've never met in person and never give strangers remote access to your devices.”
"Scammers can be very convincing and one way to spot them is to search online for the name of the organisation who contacted you with words like 'complaint', 'scam' or 'review'."
Australians who have previously been scammed should beware of a new scheme
targeting them, according to the ACCC. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.
Ms Rickard also encouraged people who think they have been tricked by a scam to immediately contact their bank or financial institution to inform them of the transaction.
"If they are not happy with the financial institution's response, victims can make a complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority which is a free and independent dispute resolution service," she said.
"Financial institutions may be able to find where the money was sent, block the scam accounts and help others to avoid sending money to scammers."
Tips on how to protect yourself from being scammed:
- Question the urgency. Scammers will insist that you take action immediately. They don’t want to give you enough time to think things through rationally.
- Be cautious with your personal details, including your credit card information. Scammers will pressure you to give personal information via call or text so be sure to not give them out.
- If you’re shopping online, make sure the website is using a secure server. The URL should start with “https” rather than “http”.
- Beware of attachments. Never open email attachments or links in text messages if they’re from an unknown source. There have been phishing emails and texts appearing to come from well-known companies, so it always pays to be cautious.
- Verify with credible sources. If you’re still not sure, check with friends or family members to see whether they’ve received a similar message. You can also check the Scamwatch website for updates on any recent scams making the rounds.
Source: Scamwatch
Be careful out there, folks!
Be careful out there, folks!
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