Have you been scammed online lately?
The NSW Police Force is warning the community about emails circulating the state purporting to be from a financial institution.
The emails claim to have a message for the recipient, which is accessible by a link in the email. The link contains malware and is designed to access personal information.
Fraud and Cybercrime Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, urged the community to be wary of unsolicited emails and check the sender’s email address closely.
“Anyone who may have received this or a similar email is advised not to click on the link, instead delete the email immediately,” Det Supt Katsogiannis said.
“Always check the legitimacy of an email and if you want to make further inquiries, go directly to the relevant website and seek legitimate information rather than following links provided in an email.
“These scammers will continue to come up with innovative ways to scam innocent victims; however, our messages continue to remain – if in doubt, delete and report it to police.
“If you have a feeling you have been scammed, contact the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN),” Det Supt Katsogiannis said.
♦ Warning signs:
You receive an email, text, or phone call claiming to be from a bank, telecommunications provider or other business you regularly deal with, asking you to update or verify your details.
The email or text message does not address you by your proper name, and may contain typing errors and grammatical mistakes.
The website address does not look like the address you usually use and is requesting details the legitimate site does not normally ask for.
You notice new icons on your computer screen, or your computer is not as fast as it normally is.
♦ Protect yourself
Do not click on any links or open attachments from emails claiming to be from your bank or another trusted organisation and asking you to update or verify your details – just press delete.
Do an internet search using the names or exact wording of the email or message to check for any references to a scam – many scams can be identified this way.
Look for the secure symbol. Secure websites can be identified by the use of ‘https:’ rather than ‘http:’ at the start of the internet address, or a closed padlock or unbroken key icon at the bottom right corner of your browser window. Legitimate websites that ask you to enter confidential information are generally encrypted to protect your details.
Never provide your personal, credit card or online account details if you receive a call claiming to be from your bank or any other organisation. Instead, ask for their name and contact number and make an independent check with the organisation in question before calling back.
To find out more information about online scams or other ways to protect yourself, visit the website here.
