11 Nov Scammers target everyone
Internet and phone scams continue to plague Australians with over $851m lost to scams in 2020.
There are many scams to watch out for involving tech. From automated Internet disconnection scams to call centre scams with ‘agents’ pretending to be from the Australian Federal Police with a warrant for your arrest.
It’s a minefield out there, there are many scams, many adaptations and many ways to get caught out.
There are some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of being caught up in such scams.
Phone Scams
– If you’re unsure who is calling, don’t give out information.
– If you get a call suggested a warrant is out for your arrest, ignore it.
– If you don’t initiate a call, don’t hand out any personal information. Get a reference number and call them back on their nationally listed number.
– If you’re unsure of a phone number, google it.
– If you get a scam call, block to number so it is unable to call you again.
Internet Scams
– Check emails carefully
– Check for spelling or grammatical errors
– Look at the ‘from’ email address
– Don’t ever reply with personal information
– Don’t fall victim to anything that asks you to transfer money to keep your data safe.
– Don’t click links if you’re not 100% sure they are genuine
– If you’re not sure, check with a tech or call the issuing company on their nationally listed phone number.
– Be careful which ad’s you click as some of them can install malicious software on your PC.
If you think your computer has been targeted by a scam, you can contact the Melton Computers team on 1800 234 124 to arrange a computer security check.