Scams, and the con artists behind them, are forever evolving and becoming more sophisticated and harder to spot.
ACM has compiled a list of current scams identified on sites such as scamwatch.gov.au, cyber.gov.au and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s website dedicated to informing people about fraudulent and dishonest activities.
DON’T CLICK THE LINK: Test messages like this one, claiming to be from Medicare, are doing the rounds. Picture: Anna Wolf
- Fraudsters have ramped up text messaging scams that target Australians during the pandemic.
- The latest text phishing scam involves an SMS claiming to be from Medicare.
- The text identifies the recipient as a close contact of someone who has tested “positive for omicron” (sic).
- It advises the recipient to order a “testkit” via a link included in the message.
- People who received this message are advised not to clink on the link but to delete the text immediately.
- Scammers pretending to be government agencies providing information on COVID-19 through text messages and emails are “phishing” for your information.
- These contain malicious links and attachments designed to steal your personal and financial information.
- Don’t click on hyperlinks in text/social media messages or emails, even if they appear to come from a trusted source.
- Never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for personal or financial details – just press delete or hang up.
- Never provide a stranger remote access to your computer, even if they…
