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SCAMwatch email alert: Don’t be fooled by scams this festive season [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Don't be fooled by scams this festive season
December 2012: SCAMwatch is warning people to be on the lookout this festive season not just for flying reindeer and bargain gifts but also scam surprises wrapped up as the real deal.
Scammers like to take advantage of the busy and charitable nature of the festive season to slip under your radar. Some scams to watch out for include online shopping scams, fake delivery scams and charity scams.
SCAMwatch urges you to watch out not just for Santa Claus, but unwanted surprises too. Remember, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
How these scams work
Online shopping scams
If you are planning to buy gifts online, watch out for scammers. Common online shopping scams are:
- Not getting what you paid for – scammers sell a product and send a faulty or inferior quality item, or nothing at all.
- Online auction scams – scammers claim that you have a second chance to buy an item that you unsuccessfully bid on because the winner pulled out. The scammer lures you offline and outside of the auction site's secure payment facility to transfer them money that you'll never see again.
- Online classified scams – buyers should beware of scammers posting fake ads on legitimate classifieds websites. Sellers should also beware of scammers who respond to ads with a generous offer, then 'accidentally' overpay by cheque or money order. The 'buyer' hopes you will refund the excess amount by money transfer before the original cheque or money order bounces/ fails.
Fake delivery scams
Unexpected delivery notification? Think twice before paying up to avoid a nasty surprise.
- You receive notification from what appears to be a postal service provider that they made an unsuccessful attempt to deliver a parcel.
- The 'company' informs you that in order to have the parcel redelivered, you will need to pay a fee.
- If you send them money, it will be lost as well as the parcel as it never existed.
Charity scams
If you are looking to give to a cause or those in need, make sure that your money goes to a legitimate charity and not a scammer.
- You are approached in person, by email or mail by someone claiming to be collecting donations on behalf of a legitimate cause or charity, or a fictitious but authentic-sounding charity.
- The scammer may use emails, letters or have developed websites that use official-looking logos and words to make them look genuine. The scammer may also play on your emotions by claiming to collect for a cause that will secure your sympathy.
- If you pay, your money will not only be lost, but much-needed donations will have been diverted away from legitimate charities and causes.
- Protect yourself
Online shopping scams – If you're buying gifts online, do your research to check if the seller is reputable, find out what protection the website offers against fraud, and only pay via a secure payment method – look for a web address starting with 'https' and a closed padlock symbol. If an item's price tag seems too good to be true, it probably is. - Fake delivery scams – If you are in doubt about the authenticity of a parcel delivery notification, verify the sender by using their official contact details to contact them directly. Never use contact details provided by caller or sender – find them through an independent source such as a phone book or online search.
- Charity scams – If you have been approached to make a donation, first contact the charity directly. Since 3 December 2012 charities have been able to register with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) – visit the ACNC website for more information and to search the ACNC Register for a registered charity.
Report
See SCAMwatch's online auction and shopping scams and charity scams sections, and radar on parcel delivery scams, for more information on how these scams work and how to avoid them.
You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.
You can also contact the ACNC on 13 ACNC (13 22 62) or email advice@acnc.gov.au if you have a concern about a registered charity.
More information
Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov.
SCAMwatch email alert: Watch out for fake flight itineraries landing in your inbox [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Watch out for fake flight itineraries landing in your inbox
Added: December 2012
SCAMwatch is warning travellers to watch out for scam emails with fake flight itineraries attached – these attachments may harbour malicious software.
Scammers masquerading as legitimate airline companies are sending these emails in an attempt to steal your passwords and other sensitive information.
SCAMwatch urges jet-setters to think twice before opening any suspicious emails or attachments – if in doubt, contact the airline to verify or just press 'delete'.
How these scams work
- You receive an email that looks like it is from a reputable airline claiming that your itinerary is attached.
- The email and attachment may be dressed up to look like the real thing by using the actual airline's corporate colours, imagery and layout. However, on closer inspection the email address is not the same used by the airline and content may contain spelling errors.
- If you open the attachment, your computer may be infected by malware.
How to protect yourself
- If you get an email like this but haven't booked any travel, just press delete.
- Before opening any emails and attachments, think twice and look for any signs that they might be fake such as odd email addresses or spelling mistakes.
- If you're not sure whether an email is a scam, verify the sender by using their official contact details to contact them directly. Never use contact details provided by the caller – find them through an independent source such as a phone book or online search.
- Always keep your computer security up-to-date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a good firewall – only buy software from a reputable source.
- If you have opened something that you think might be suspicious, consider getting your computer scanned and changing passwords.
Report
You can report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page on SCAMwatch or by calling 1300 795 995.
More information
You can see a warning from Jetstar about scammers impersonating the airline.
See SCAMwatch's online scams section for more information on malware and other scams that target you on the internet.
Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov
You have received this email because you have subscribed to receive SCAMwatch radar alerts on scams targeting Australians. These alerts are issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and can be viewed on its SCAMwatch website www.scamwatch.gov.au.
If you have any doubts about an email's source, verify the sender by independent means - use their official contact details to check the email is legitimate before clicking on links or opening attachments.
If you no longer want to receive SCAMwatch email alerts, please unsubscribe on the SCAMwatch website.
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SCAMwatch email alert: Beware of scam surveys and offers misusing household names [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Beware of scam surveys and offers misusing household names
Added: November 2012
SCAMwatch is warning people to beware of online scams – surveys, emails and social-media posts – offering fake gift vouchers or other bogus inducements in return for disclosing credit card and other personal information.
While many online surveys are legitimate and may be backed by some reward, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Woolworths have received an increased number of complaints about possible scams misusing the Woolworths name and logo, going under such titles as 'Customer Satisfaction Survey to get $50'.
Scams such as these often ask people to provide credit card or other personal details, which criminals can use to commit identity theft and other fraud.
Woolworths is advising people that all its official competitions are listed at www.woolworths.com.au on its Promotions and Competitions page.
How these scams work
- These scams abuse the brand names and logos of well-known companies and products to make them look legitimate.
- As with many legitimate offers and online posts, you might be asked to complete a survey and/ or pass on an offer to others before you can claim a voucher or other inducement or enter a competition. But the scams will take your valuable information and give you only disappointment in return – products will never arrive or vouchers will be fakes that retailers won't honour.
- Recent scams have related to supermarkets, coffee shops, smart phones and tablets, including offers featured on Facebook.
Protect yourself
- Be very wary when, for example, filling in surveys linked from social networking sites – being asked to provide such detailed information as Medicare numbers or credit-card security codes should ring alarm bells.
- You should check whenever you can whether offers are legitimate, even ones passed on from people you know. If the offers are represented as coming directly from a particular retailer, check they are listed on the retailers' official websites – or call a business' official customer-service line. Don't click on links or call numbers listed in the offers – they can link to fake websites and even fake call centres.
- If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your 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
Stay one step ahead of scammers, follow @SCAMwatch_gov on Twitter or visit http://twitter.com/SCAMwatch_gov
You have received this email because you have subscribed to receive SCAMwatch radar alerts on scams targeting Australians. These alerts are issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and can be viewed on its SCAMwatch website www.scamwatch.gov.au.
If you have any doubts about an email's source, verify the sender by independent means - use their official contact details to check the email is legitimate before clicking on links or opening attachments.
If you no longer want to receive SCAMwatch email alerts, please unsubscribe on the SCAMwatch website.
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