Translate

SCAMwatch email alert: Beware of scam gift voucher & product offers on social networking sites [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Beware of scam gift voucher & product offers on social networking sites

View radar online.

Added: November 2011

SCAMwatch is warning social networking users to beware of scam posts which offer fake gift vouchers or products for free. The vouchers are offered in exchange for personal details and passing on a scam link to friends.

How the scam works

  • You see a post on a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter offering free gift vouchers or products. Recent scams have offered fake vouchers for supermarkets and coffee shops. Other have offered free products such as smartphones, tablet devices and laptops.
  • This scam abuses brand names and logos of well-known companies and products in order to make the offers look legitimate.
  • To claim the voucher or product you may be asked to first "Like" a Facebook page, share the scam post with friends and follow a link to complete a scam survey. The survey will ask for personal details which scammers can then use to commit identity theft.
  • If you fall victim to the scam you will never receive the product or voucher. If you print an online voucher it will be a fake which is not honoured or of any value.
  • In more sophisticated versions of this scam, clicking on links may cause your social media account to become hijacked or compromised. A hijacked account will spam your friends with more scam post. If your Facebook page has been compromised use this Facebook page to re-secure your account. If your Twitter account has been hijacked see this Twitter information on how to re-secure your page.
  • Similar scams also are perpetrated via email with links to online scam surveys.

Protect yourself

  • Never click on suspicious links on social networking sites – even if they are from your friends. Remember if an offer seems too good to be true it probably is!
  • Be very wary when filling in surveys linked to via social networking posts and pages. Scammers commonly use these surveys to steal your valuable personal information.
  • If in doubt about the authenticity of a free offer always contact the company on their official customer service number to verify that it is genuine. You can also search the internet using the exact wording of the offer as many social media scams can be identified this way.
  • Keep your personal details personal - be careful what information you share and post on social networking sites and with whom you share it– expect that people other than your friends can see it.
  • Set your online social networking profiles to private, never give out your account details and regularly update your computer's security software.
  • Protect your accounts with strong passwords and change them regularly - have a different password for each social networking site so that if one is compromised, not all of your accounts will be at risk.
  • Don't accept a friend request or a follow request from a stranger - people are not always who they say they are and the best way to keep scammers out of your life is to never let them in.
  • If you think you have provided your banking or credit card details to a scammer contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

Report

You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.

More information

See our social networking scams page for more information.

Coles Supermarkets have also issued a warning about this type of scam via the Coles website homepage.

If your account has been compromised:

Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.

______________

If you no longer want to receive SCAMwatch email alerts, please unsubscribe on the SCAMwatch website.

SCAMwatch email alert: Avoid 2012 London Olympics accommodation scams [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Avoid 2012 London Olympics accommodation scams

View radar online.

Added: November 2011

SCAMwatch is joining the UK Metropolitan Police Service in warning of online accommodation booking scams in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

How the scam works

  • Scammers can exploit the high demand for accommodation during the games by setting up fake websites, posting fake ads for hotel rooms and holiday rentals on genuine websites, or offering fake accommodation/ticketing packages.
  • The accommodation offered may not actually exist or be available.
  • In previous rental and accommodation scams, scammers have posed as property owners, booking agents, or landlords and posted fake copies of genuine rental property advertisements on classified, accommodation and travel websites.
  • If you respond to the fake ads the scammer will ask for upfront payments such as bond, rent payments or deposits in advance.
  • Some scammers have also requested copies of personal identification documents, or other personal information which can be used to commit identity fraud.
  • Victims never receive the keys to the property and the scammer disappears with their money.
  • Beware also of websites offering scam ticket sales. The only secure way to buy a ticket is from the London 2012 ticketing website, or your country's National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee which can be found on the official London 2012 ticketing website.

Protect yourself

  • Book accommodation directly with an established hotel or reputable travel company using their official contact details.
  • Research the property/hotel you are booking using internet searches and online maps to verify that the address exists. Check if official images match those in the advertisement.
  • Request a number of photos of the property from the agent, if they refuse it may be that they have stolen a photo from a genuine ad and have no others. 
  • If you want to use an agent or a website to book accommodation, research them online first. Check reviews and blog posts as many known scams can be identified this way.
  • Don't trust the legitimacy of an accommodation ad just because it appears on a reputable website—scammers post fake ads on these too.
  • Where possible, avoid any arrangement with a stranger that asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer or international funds transfer. It is rare to recover money sent this way.
  • Do an internet search using the exact wording in the accommodation ad—many well-known scams can be found this way.
  • For rental properties, insist on inspecting the property - a drive-by is not enough. The property may genuinely exist, but it might be owned by someone else. 

Report
You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.

More information

SCAMwatch has also previously issued radars on accommodation scams:

Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.

______________

If you no longer want to receive SCAMwatch email alerts, please unsubscribe on the SCAMwatch website.

Southeast QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Flash Flooding, Damaging Winds


Southeast QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Flash Flooding, Damaging Winds
Source: Bureau of Meteorology

For people in parts of the GOLD COAST CITY, LOCKYER VALLEY, IPSWICH CITY, SOUTHERN DOWNS, SCENIC RIM and TOOWOOMBA Council Areas.

Issued at 6:53 pm Sunday, 30 October 2011.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 6:55 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Warwick, the area northwest of Warwick and Casino(NSW). These thunderstorms are moving towards the northeast. They are forecast to affect the area northeast of Warwick, the area north of Warwick and Allora by 7:25 pm and Border Ranges National Park, the McPherson Range and Cunninghams Gap by 7:55 pm.

Damaging winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones are likely.

Estimated wind gusts to 90 km/hr were observed near Inglewood.
Wind gusts of 80 km/hr were observed at Warwick at 6:48pm.

Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.
BoM Radar | Early Warning Network | Unsubscribe