Scam victim warns fellow Australians of online deceptions after near loss of savings
- Replies 17
In today's digital age, where convenience often trumps caution, it's easy to fall prey to sophisticated scams that can devastate us financially.
Brisbane-based musician Rebecca Callander learned this lesson the hard way, and she's now urging fellow Australians to stay vigilant against such deceptions.
Rebecca's ordeal began with a seemingly innocuous text message purporting to be from Australia Post.
The message requested a small payment for the re-delivery of a parcel.
She didn't suspect foul play as someone expecting a delivery.
‘I clicked the link and was directed to a webpage that appeared completely legitimate,’ Callander said.
‘The layout, the logo, everything seemed in order.’
‘I entered my details to pay the $3.80 postal fee, thinking I had made an error with my postcode and that my package would be re-delivered.’
Only after she attempted to navigate to other website sections did she realise the tabs needed to be functional.
This red flag prompted her to contact her bank immediately, which acted swiftly to block the transaction.
Had they not done so, scammers might have gained access to her substantial savings of $23,000, painstakingly accumulated over years of wedding DJing.
‘It's infuriating to think that some business or platform I interacted with at some point likely leaked or sold my personal information. I felt like a fool,’ Callander expressed.
The feeling of being duped was compounded by a previous experience: She lost $4,800 in a Coachella ticket scam, in which an individual exploited her aspirations and trust to sell fraudulent tickets.
Australia Post has been proactive in educating customers about the prevalence of scams.
‘Do NOT click on any unexpected/unusual links or open attachments. Delete the message once you have sent it through to us,’ the website read.
‘If you’ve received a suspicious email, invoice or text message claiming to be from Australia Post, send it to [email protected] so that we can investigate.’
Callander previously lost $4,800 of her savings in a Coachella scam involving fraudulent tickets to the festival.
In April, she warned others about the risks of online ticket listings and publicly criticised the alleged scammer.
She recounted how the man claimed to support independent artists and shared a personal story about facing racial discrimination in the music industry to gain her trust.
‘He told me a story...about how he'd been discriminated against in the music industry because of the colour of his skin,’ Callander shared.
‘About how he was just giving so much to independent artists, mentoring artists, and it just pulled me right in.’
‘The idea that I'm going to Coachella with a household full of artists backstage ... are you joking? If you're an aspiring star, that's a dream come true,’
Interparcel CEO Steve Zammit said, 'Key sales periods like Black Friday and Christmas present a prime opportunity for scammers to exploit consumers’ heightened online activity.'
'With a significant increase in eCommerce sales during these times, scammers often craft sophisticated schemes, such as fake delivery notifications, unsecured payment methods or fraudulent websites, to trick people into providing personal and financial details.'
'Shoppers should be extra cautious of unsolicited communications as we approach these peak sales periods, especially those overly demanding, requesting immediate payment or personal information.'
'If something doesn’t seem right, such as an email address or tone of voice, you should always verify the legitimacy of emails or messages by contacting the company directly through official channels, such as their website, customer service line or mobile apps.'
'The key is to remain vigilant, trust your instincts, and avoid engaging with unverified sources.'
'For businesses, we recommend sending email notifications instead of SMS, as links in text messages are often shortened, making it harder for customers to verify their legitimacy.'
'With email, recipients can view the full link and the sender's email address, providing more information to help them identify potential scams, which is often more difficult with a simple mobile number.'
Have you or someone you know encountered a scam like this? What measures do you take to protect yourself online? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
Brisbane-based musician Rebecca Callander learned this lesson the hard way, and she's now urging fellow Australians to stay vigilant against such deceptions.
Rebecca's ordeal began with a seemingly innocuous text message purporting to be from Australia Post.
The message requested a small payment for the re-delivery of a parcel.
Brisbane musician Rebecca Callander warned about a scam after nearly losing $23,000 from a text message claiming to be from Australia Post. Credit: @hi_im_bek / TikTok
She didn't suspect foul play as someone expecting a delivery.
‘I clicked the link and was directed to a webpage that appeared completely legitimate,’ Callander said.
‘The layout, the logo, everything seemed in order.’
‘I entered my details to pay the $3.80 postal fee, thinking I had made an error with my postcode and that my package would be re-delivered.’
Only after she attempted to navigate to other website sections did she realise the tabs needed to be functional.
This red flag prompted her to contact her bank immediately, which acted swiftly to block the transaction.
Had they not done so, scammers might have gained access to her substantial savings of $23,000, painstakingly accumulated over years of wedding DJing.
‘It's infuriating to think that some business or platform I interacted with at some point likely leaked or sold my personal information. I felt like a fool,’ Callander expressed.
The feeling of being duped was compounded by a previous experience: She lost $4,800 in a Coachella ticket scam, in which an individual exploited her aspirations and trust to sell fraudulent tickets.
Australia Post has been proactive in educating customers about the prevalence of scams.
‘Do NOT click on any unexpected/unusual links or open attachments. Delete the message once you have sent it through to us,’ the website read.
‘If you’ve received a suspicious email, invoice or text message claiming to be from Australia Post, send it to [email protected] so that we can investigate.’
Callander previously lost $4,800 of her savings in a Coachella scam involving fraudulent tickets to the festival.
In April, she warned others about the risks of online ticket listings and publicly criticised the alleged scammer.
She recounted how the man claimed to support independent artists and shared a personal story about facing racial discrimination in the music industry to gain her trust.
‘He told me a story...about how he'd been discriminated against in the music industry because of the colour of his skin,’ Callander shared.
‘About how he was just giving so much to independent artists, mentoring artists, and it just pulled me right in.’
‘The idea that I'm going to Coachella with a household full of artists backstage ... are you joking? If you're an aspiring star, that's a dream come true,’
'With a significant increase in eCommerce sales during these times, scammers often craft sophisticated schemes, such as fake delivery notifications, unsecured payment methods or fraudulent websites, to trick people into providing personal and financial details.'
'Shoppers should be extra cautious of unsolicited communications as we approach these peak sales periods, especially those overly demanding, requesting immediate payment or personal information.'
'If something doesn’t seem right, such as an email address or tone of voice, you should always verify the legitimacy of emails or messages by contacting the company directly through official channels, such as their website, customer service line or mobile apps.'
'The key is to remain vigilant, trust your instincts, and avoid engaging with unverified sources.'
'For businesses, we recommend sending email notifications instead of SMS, as links in text messages are often shortened, making it harder for customers to verify their legitimacy.'
'With email, recipients can view the full link and the sender's email address, providing more information to help them identify potential scams, which is often more difficult with a simple mobile number.'
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