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.
A snapshot of what the international court scam looks like. Picture: Scamwatch via Twitter
International court scam email
- Scamwatch is warning consumers of a scam email making the rounds purporting to be from international courts claiming they are eligible for compensation for identity theft. The email states the receiver is a victim of identity theft and that they are “eligible for reimbursements”.
- This email is a scam. Do not click on any links in the email. Do not give scammers your personal information. Delete the email.
Increase in scam activity after Optus data breach
- Scammers are impersonating Optus in various scams following the data breach.
- Beware of emails warning of payment errors or threatening email account closures, and callers offering a reward due to the data breach.
- Scammers may impersonate your bank or a service provider and warn you about “suspicious” activity on your account. Hang up and call the organisation using a number you’ve searched yourself.
- Watch out for phishing texts impersonating Optus and using the data breach to prompt you to update your MyGov details via a link. Never click on the link. Go directly to…
