New scam alerts 6 May 2011
Scammers pose as government & banks offering to reclaim overcharged bank fees
May 2011: Beware of scam callers pretending to be from the Government or a bank and asking for an upfront fee to reclaim your overcharged bank fees. Scammers pretend to be from a fake government department, specifically an 'Australian Government Reclaim Department' (or variation on this). Some scammers also claim to be from the 'Office of Fair Trading' or a bank.
The caller will say you are eligible to several thousands of dollars in overcharged fees in return for an upfront payment of a few hundred dollars, typically calling it a donation to charity, an administration fee or taxes. If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately. If you're not sure that the call was a scam you can check by independently finding the bank or Government department's contact details and calling them directly. Read full alert…
Fake FBI email scam claims you've visited "illegal websites"
May 2011: Beware of fake Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) emails which claim that you've visited illegal websites. These emails are a scam. If you receive one, delete it! Don't open any attachments and don't provide your personal details. The emails instruct you to answer a list of questions, often in an attached .zip file. If you open the attachment, it could infect your computer with a virus or malware and give the scammer access to your personal information, such as your online banking passwords. If you answer the questions within the attachment or reply to the scammer with personal details, you may put yourself at risk of identity theft. Read full alert…
Stay one step ahead of scammers - visit the SCAMwatch website, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.
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