They seem to come at us constantly, through texts, emails, letters, social media posts, even knocks on the door. But however they contact you, all scammers have one objective – to separate you from your money and/or your personal information. It’s important to remain vigilant as scammers become more and more sophisticated.
“We use technology all the time now, and many people are so familiar with it, they think they’re too savvy to be impacted by a scam,” said Ben Young, Westpac Head of Fraud.
“But being scammed doesn’t mean you’re gullible, it’s just so prevalent now. Scammers utilise many creative schemes of deception, so it’s vital to maintain a healthy level of suspicion about anyone who is asking you for money or your personal details.”
According to ACCC Scamwatch, the number of scams reported increased 170 per cent during the pandemic, with Australians over 65 losing the most of any age group last year – $81.9m.
Ben explains scammers took advantage of pandemic lockdowns to reach people through digital channels, and is concerned by the growth in remote access scams especially.
“This is a fast-growing type of phone scam, where the scammers try to convince you to give them remote access to your computer,” he said. “They might pretend to be from a utility company or tech support, and get you to download software, the real purpose of which is to steal your details and your money.”
Investment scams are another way in which scammers try to fleece…
