Scams

Investment scams offering "guaranteed" or "high return" opportunities—always verify the legitimacy of any investment and never trust unsolicited offers or schemes promising early access to superannuation.

How the scam works

Investment scams come in many forms including cryptocurrency purchase, binary options trading, business ventures, superannuation schemes, managed funds and the sale or purchase of shares or property. Scammers dress up ‘opportunities’ with professional looking brochures and websites to mask their fraudulent operations. They often begin with a phone call or email out of the blue from a scammer offering a ‘not-to-be-missed’, ‘high return’ or ‘guaranteed’ opportunity. The scammer usually operates from overseas, and will not have an Australian Financial Services licence.

Computer prediction software scams promise to accurately predict stock market movements, the results of horse races, sports events or lotteries. They are simply a form of gambling disguised as investments. Most of the schemes or programs do not work and buyers cannot get their money back. In many cases the supplier simply disappear.

Superannuation scams offer to give you early access to your super fund, often through a self-managed super fund or for a fee. The scammer may ask you to agree to a story to allow the early release of your money and then, acting as your financial adviser, they will deceive your superannuation company into paying out your super benefits directly to them. Once they have your money, the scammer may take large ‘fees’ or leave you with nothing at all.

Protect yourself

• Don’t let anyone pressure you into making decisions about your money or investments – especially if the offer has come out of the blue.
• Before parting with your money, do your own research on the investment company and check out www.moneysmart.gov.au to see if they have an Australian Financial Services Licence. Ask yourself: if a stranger knew a secret to making money, why would they share it?

If you are under retirement age, watch out for offers promoting easy access to your preserved superannuation benefits. If you illegally access your super early, you may face penalties under taxation law.

If a government authority or trusted company is telling you to pay up, stop, think and double-check.

How the scam works

Instead of offering a prize, money or rebate, these scams use threats designed to frighten you into handing over your money. The scammer may call you and threaten you with arrest or send you an email claiming you owe money for a speeding fine, a tax office debt or an unpaid bill.

During the phone call, scammers will pressure you into paying immediately and tell you the police will be sent to your house if you refuse. Scammers have been known to target vulnerable people in our community, such as newly arrived migrants. They pretend to be Immigration Department officials and threaten victims with deportation unless fees are paid to correct errors in their visas. A very similar scam involves the scammer pretending to be from the Australian Tax Office telling their victims they have an outstanding tax bill.

Scammers also pretend to be trusted companies such as your bank, gas, electricity, water or phone provider. They will threaten to cancel your service or charge you excessive penalty fees if you don’t pay the bill immediately. Sometimes they may impersonate a business like Australia Post stating you have an item to pick up or you will be charged a holding fee every day you don’t pay.

Whatever the case, they try to make you worried and act without stopping to think and check that the story is true.

If the scam is sent by email, it is likely to include an attachment or link to a fake website where you will be asked to download proof of the ‘bill’, ‘fine’ or ‘delivery details’. Opening the attachment or downloading the file will result in infecting your computer with malware (see page 16).

Protect yourself

• Don’t be pressured by a threatening caller. Stop, think and check whether their story is true.
• A government agency or trusted company will never ask you to pay by unusual methods such as by gift card, wire transfers or Bitcoins.
• Verify the identity of the contact by calling the relevant organization directly – find them through an independent source such as a phone book, past bill or online search.
• Do not use the contact details provided in emails or given to you during phone calls. Again, find them through an independent source.

If you are asked to provide payments before receiving goods or money, think twice.

How the scam works

Scammers tell you out of the blue that you are entitled to money, precious gems, gold or valuable shares but you need to make upfront payments to get them. You will never receive what was promised and there will always be an excuse for why you have to pay more. If you pay the fees, you will lose your money.

Rebate or reclaim scams involve a scammer telling you that you are owed money for reasons such as overpaid taxes, bank fees or some sort of compensation. However, before you can get your money you are asked to pay a small administration fee.

With inheritance scams, scammers pose as lawyers, bankers or foreign officials and tell you that you are entitled to a large inheritance or offer you a share in a scheme because you have the same name as someone who died. They often use official-looking documents and ask you to make payments for fees and taxes before you can receive the inheritance. They can also ask for your personal details to fill out ‘official paperwork’. This means that you might have your identity stolen as well as your money.

Unexpected money scams involve scammers telling you they need your help to secure a large fortune which they are desperately trying to transfer out of their country. They may claim the fortune is a hidden stash of money, gold or assets abandoned by a corrupt government or official and if you agree to receive it they will give you a large share when it is safe to do so. Like all of these scams, they will say you first need to pay taxes, bank charges or fees for anti-terrorism and money laundering checks before they can send the money.

These scams commonly come from overseas and ask for payment via wire transfer but may also ask for bank transfers or other payment methods.

If you fall for these scams, you will never receive anything from the scammer and lose any money you sent.

Protect yourself

• Remember there are no get-rich-quick schemes: if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• Avoid any arrangement with a stranger that asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card or electronic currency. It is rare to recover money sent this way.
• If an unsolicited email looks suspicious, just delete it. Don’t click on any links.
• Government departments, banks or utilities will never contact you asking you to pay money upfront in order to claim a fee or rebate.
• If you are unsure, check the identity of the contact independently.

Do not use the contact details provided in the message sent to you – get correct contact details through an independent source such as a phone book or online search.

• Conduct a search online using the exact wording of the offer – many scams can be identified this way.

Don’t be lured by a surprise win – only the scammer takes home a windfall.

How the scam works

These scams try to trick you into giving money upfront or your personal details in order to receive a prize from a lottery, sweepstake or competition that you never entered. Scammers claim that you need to pay fees or taxes before your ‘winnings’ or prize can be released. You may also have to call or send a text to a premium rate phone number to claim your prize.

Scratchie scams involve getting mail containing glossy brochures and a number of scratchie cards, one of which will be a winner. To make it more believable, it will often be second or third prize. When you call to claim your prize, the scammers will ask for fees or taxes to be paid before you can get your winnings.

Lottery scams may use the names of real overseas lotteries to claim that you’ve won cash, even though you never entered into them. Scammers normally ask for fees or taxes to release the funds. They will also tell you they need your personal details to prove you are the correct winner but then use this information to steal your identity or money from your bank account.

Travel prize scams involve scammers claiming you’ve won a free holiday or airfares. In fact, what you’ve actually won is the chance to buy accommodation or flight vouchers. These travel vouchers often have hidden fees and conditions, or may be fake and worthless. Similarly, scammers may offer you amazing discounted holiday packages that just don’t exist.

Fake vouchers and gift cards involve scammers sending you an email or text message or a social media message claiming you have won a gift card for a well-known retailer but you need to provide some details before you can claim it. This is an attempt to get personal information which can be used for identity theft or to target you with another scam. Offers like these have also been known to deliver ransomware on your device.

Protect yourself

• Remember: you cannot win money in a lottery or competition unless you entered.
• Competitions and lotteries do not require you to pay a fee to collect winnings – conduct a search online using the exact wording of the offer. It may help confirm that it’s a scam.
• Think twice before calling or text messaging a phone number starting with ‘19’ – they are charged at premium rates.

Scammers love the ease of online shopping too.

How the scam works

Consumers and businesses are increasingly buying and selling online. Unfortunately, scammers like to shop online for victims.

Scammers can create very convincing fake retailer websites that look like the real thing, including on social media like Facebook. The biggest tip-off that a retail website is a scam is the method of payment – be wary if you are asked to pay by wire transfer or other unusual methods.

An online auction scam involves a scammer claiming that you have a second chance to buy an item that you placed a bid on because the winner has pulled out. The scammer will ask you to pay outside of the auction site’s secure payment facility; if you do, your money will be lost you won’t get what you paid for and the auction site will not be able to help you.

The online classifieds scam is a common scam targeting both buyers and sellers. Buyers should beware of scammers who post fake ads on legitimate classifieds website.

The ads can be for anything from rental properties to pets, used cars or cameras, and will often be cheaply priced. If you show interest in the item, the scammer may claim that they are travelling or have moved overseas and that an agent will deliver the goods following receipt of payment. Following payment you will not receive the goods or be able to contact the seller.

For sellers, a classified scammer will respond to your advertisement with a generous offer. If you accept it, the scammer will pay by cheque or money order. However, the amount that you receive is for more than the agreed price. In this overpayment scam, the ‘buyer’ may tell you that this was a mistake and will ask you to refund the excess amount by money transfer. The scammer hopes that you will transfer the money before you discover that their cheque has bounced or that the money order was phony. You will lose the money, as well as the item you sold if you have already sent it.

Protect yourself

• Find out exactly who you are dealing with. If it is an Australian retailer, you are in a much better position to sort out the problem if something goes wrong.
• Check if the seller is reputable, has a refund policy and complaint handling services.
• Avoid any arrangement that asks for up-front payment via money order, wire transfer, international funds transfer, pre-loaded card or electronic currency. It is rare to recover money sent this way. Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you don’t know or trust and never by email.
• Only pay via the website’s secure payment method – look for a web address starting with ‘https’ and a closed padlock symbol.
• Never accept a cheque or money order for payment that is more than what you agreed upon or forward money on for anyone.

All scams have the potential for identity theft. Protecting yourself from scams also means keeping your personal information safe.

Identity theft is a threat in every scam

Most people associate scams with attempts to trick you out of your money. However, your information is also valuable to scammers. Scammers steal your personal details to commit fraudulent activities like making unauthorised purchases on your credit card, or using your identity to open bank or telephone accounts. They might take out loans or carry out other illegal business under your name. They may even sell your information to other scammers for further illegal use.

Having your identity stolen can be both financially and emotionally devastating. It can take months to reclaim your identity and the impact of having it stolen can last for years.

Phishing – a scammer contacts you out of the blue via email, phone, Facebook or text message pretending to be from a legitimate business such as a bank, phone or internet service provider. They direct you to a fake version of the business’s website asking for your personal details to verify customer records due to a technical error. They may call imitating a luxury goods retailer claiming that someone is trying use your credit card. They advise you to contact your bank but they don’t hang up from their end and keep the line open.

When you try to call the bank, you are still talking to the scammers who simulate a real call, imitate bank staff and ask for your account and security details. In either case, the scammer captures whatever information you give them and then uses it to access your accounts.

Fake surveys – Scammers offer prizes or rewards such as gift cards to well-known retailers in return for completing an online survey. The survey requires you to answer a range of questions including disclosure of important identification or banking details.

As part of any scam – Scammers often ask for personal information in other scams. In a lottery scam, scammers often ask for a driver’s licence or passport to ‘prove your identity before they can release the prize money’. In dating and romance scams they might ask for information ‘to sponsor their visa application to visit you in Australia’.

Remember: Giving away personal information to a scammer can be just as bad as giving away money. Keep your personal details to yourself and keep them secure.

Protect yourself

• Think twice about what you say and do in an online environment. Be careful sharing information about yourself online, including social media, blogs and other online forums. Stop and think before filling in surveys, entering competitions, clicking on links or attachments, or even ‘befriending’, ‘liking’ or ‘sharing’ something online.
• Beware of any request for your details or money

Scammers will try to trick you into handing over your data by using the names of well-known companies or government departments.

If you think it’s a scam, don’t respond. Use the phone book or an online search to check the organisation’s contact details. Never use the contact details provided in the original request.

If you have provided personal identification information to scammers, contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160

Big income – guaranteed? Unlikely!

How the scam works

Job and employment scams involve offers to work from home or set up and invest in a ‘business opportunity’. Scammers promise a job, high salary or large investment return following initial upfront payments. These payments may be for a ‘business plan’, training course, software, uniforms, security clearance, taxes or fees. If you pay the fee you may not receive anything or not what you expected or were promised.

Some job offers may be a cover for illegal money laundering activities, where you are asked to act as an ‘accounts manager’ or ‘personal assistant’, receive payments into your bank account for a commission, and then pass the money on to a foreign company.

Job scams are often promoted through spam email or advertisements in well-known classifieds and on job seeker websites – even government job seeker websites.

A big danger with these job scams is that you can be asked for a lot of personal details that you should not provide including your tax file number and copies of your passport or driver’s licence. This information could be used later for identity theft.

Protect yourself

• Beware of offers or schemes claiming to guarantee income or requiring payment upfront.
• Never agree to transfer money for someone else – this is money laundering and it is illegal.
• Do not provide your tax file number, driver’s licence or passport when applying for a job. You may need to provide this information but only after you have started work.

Money laundering is a criminal offence: do not agree to transfer money for a stranger.

Scammers are heartless and can strike during desperate times of need.

How the scam works

Scammers take advantage of people seeking to donate to a good cause or find an answer to a health problem.

Charity scams involve scammers collecting money by pretending to work for a legitimate cause or charity, or a fictitious one they have created. Often scammers will exploit a recent natural disaster or crisis that has been in the news.

These scams divert much-needed donations away from legitimate charities. Charities must be registered with government – donate confidently by checking their registration first.

Miracle cure scams offer a range of products and services that can appear to be legitimate alternative medicines, usually promising quick and effective remedies for serious medical conditions. The treatments are often promoted using false testimonies from people who have been ‘cured’

Weight loss scams promise dramatic weight loss with little or no effort. This type of scam may involve an unusual or restrictive diet, revolutionary exercise, a ‘fat-busting’ device, breakthrough pills, patches or creams. You may be required to make a large advance payment or enter into a long-term contract to receive ongoing supplies.

Fake online pharmacies offer counterfeit drugs and medicine at very cheap prices, and sometimes provide them without a doctor’s prescription. These drugs may have limited or no active ingredients, which can have lethal consequences for users.

Protect yourself

• If you are approached by a charity street collector, ask to see their identification. If you have any doubts about who they are, do not pay.
• Check the Australian Charities Not for Profit Association’s list of registered charities.
• Consult your healthcare professional if you are considering a ‘miracle’ or ‘instant-fix’ claim about medicines, supplements or other treatments.
• Ask yourself: if this really is a miracle cure, wouldn’t your healthcare professional have told you about it.

Scammers take advantage of the busy nature of many businesses to swindle them.

How the scam works

Scams targeting businesses come in all sorts of guises and are likely to strike at the busiest times, like the end of the financial year.

A false billing scam is the most common trick scammers use against businesses. Scammers issue fake bills for unwanted or unauthorised listings, advertisements, products or services. The business directory scam is a well-known example, where you receive a bill for a listing in a supposedly well-known directory. Scammers trick you to sign up by disguising the offer as an outstanding invoice or a free listing, but with a hidden subscription agreement in the fine print.

The domain name scam is another ploy used by scammers, where you are deceived into signing up for an unsolicited internet domain registration very similar to your own. You may also receive a fake renewal notice for your actual domain name and pay without realising.

An office supply scam involves you receiving and being charged for products that you did not order. These scams often involve products or services that you regularly order such as stationery and cleaning supplies. Scammers typically call your business pretending that a service or product has already been ordered.

Payment redirection scams involve a scammer using information they have obtained by hacking your computer systems. They then pose as one of your regular suppliers and tell you that their banking details have changed. They may tell you they have recently changed banks, and may use copied letterhead and branding to convince you they are legitimate. They will provide you with a new bank account number and ask that all future payments are processed accordingly. The scam is often only detected when your regular supplier asks why they have not been paid.

Ransomware can be extremely damaging for any business. The best defence is to back up your data regularly and store your back-ups offsite and offline.

Protect yourself

• Don’t agree to offers or deals straight away – always ask for an offer in writing and seek independent advice if the deal involves money, time or a long-term commitment.
• Never provide your business’ banking, financial and accounting details to someone that contacts you unexpectedly and that you don’t know and trust.
• Effective management procedures can go a long way towards preventing scams – have clearly defined processes for verifying and paying accounts and invoices and look very carefully at requests to change banking details.
• Train your staff to recognise scams.

Remember: anything that connects to the internet is vulnerable.

How the scam works

If you have someone who contacts you unexpectedly, often via phone call, offering to help 'fix problems' with your internet, account, phone or computer by gaining access to your devices, this is a remote access scam. By gaining access to your device they are able to steal your personal information. Remote access scams are causing increasing financial loss. Scammers sound professional and it’s easy to think they’re legitimate. They’ll ask you to download a screen-sharing (or remote desktop application) software, then once they have access they will steal from you.

Malware is a term for any malicious software that can be installed on your computer or other devices including viruses, spyware, ransomware, trojan horses and keystroke loggers.

Keystroke loggers and spyware allow scammers to record exactly what you type on your keyboard to find out passwords and bank details or access personal information and send this anywhere they want. Once installed, scammers can control your email and social media accounts and grab whatever information is on your device, including passwords. They can also use your accounts to send more scams to your friends and family

Ransomware is another type of malware that encrypts or locks your device to prevent you from using it until a payment is made to unlock it. Paying up doesn’t guarantee it will be unlocked or be free from hidden viruses, which can also spread and infect other computers or devices on your network.

Malware is commonly delivered by email and can appear to be from legitimate sources, such as your utility provider, a government agency or even the police purporting to issue a fine. Don’t click on the link or open any attachments that you aren’t absolutely sure about. You may be downloading malicious software instead. These scams target both individuals and businesses.

Protect yourself

• Don’t let the sense of urgency rush you into taking actions. Hang up on anyone who asks you to download software or an app over the phone. Never provide anyone your banking information, passwords, or 2-factor identification codes over the phone.
• Be wary of free downloads offering music, games, movies and access to adult sites. They may install harmful programs without you knowing.
• Keep your office networks, computers, and mobile devices secure. Update your security software, change passwords and back up your data regularly. Store your back-ups offsite and offline. www.staysmartonline.gov.au explains how to back-up your data and secure your mobile devices.
• Do not open attachments or click on links in emails or social media messages you’ve received from strangers – just press delete.