27 September 2023

Pandemic prompts surge in PS scammers

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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has reported that scams impersonating Government Agencies are on the rise.

The ACCC said more than $1.26 million had been lost this year so far from more than 7,100 reports made to the Scamwatch website.

Deputy Chair of the ACCC, Delia Rickard said that in reality, the losses were likely to be far greater.

Ms Rickard said the tax period had seen an increase in scams with text messages claiming to be from the myGov website or from Agencies claiming to help victims gain early access to their superannuation.

“Scammers are increasingly taking advantage of the financial difficulties and uncertainty generated from the COVID-19 pandemic to trick unsuspecting Australians,” Ms Rickard said.

“We are seeing scams impersonating Government Departments, fake Government threats and phishing scams.”

She said that in a fake Government threat scam the scammer will often claim something illegal, such as tax fraud or money laundering, had been committed in the victim’s name.

“The scammer then tries to scare people into handing over money and may threaten that they would be arrested if they refuse,” Ms Rickard said.

“Government Departments will never threaten you with immediate arrest or ask for payment by unusual methods such as gift cards, iTunes vouchers or bank transfers.”

In a phishing scam, victims would receive an email or text message claiming to be from a Government Department requesting personal details to confirm their eligibility for a Government payment or because the person may have been exposed to COVID-19.

“Don’t click on any hyperlinks in texts or emails to reach a Government website, always type the address into the browser yourself,” Ms Rickard said.

“Do not respond to texts or emails as the scammer will escalate their attempts to get your money.”

More information on scams is available on the Scamwatch website, including how to make a report and get help.

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