SCAMS have been around a long time and criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated.
Despite all the warnings more and more are falling into the elaborate traps set when the scammers send out thousands of texts and emails.
Just one successful fraud can provide them with enough to live on for years.
A scam is when someone contacts you by phone, email or online with the intention of stealing your information or money.
These scams often use company names or logos to look like they come from a business or organisation you know, which can make it difficult for you to know what’s real and what’s fake.
There are times when you might receive a call, email or SMS from the bank, but they’ll always offer you a way to provide your information securely, or you can always contact us to check if something’s real.
These fraud awareness tips from the NAB will help you stay one step ahead of scams.
ALWAYS be cautious when you’re contacted by phone from people you don’t know.
Never provide personal or banking details to someone who contacts you unexpectedly, such as an unsolicited call or message.
To double-check, call the organisation back on their official phone.
Never give anyone remote access to your phone, computer or online bank accounts.
Regularly check the transactions on your accounts and report anything suspicious as soon as you can.
Set your social media profiles to ‘private’ and be mindful of what you’re sharing.
Don’t respond to or click on messages you think are pretending to be from NAB or your bank.
Those pretending to be from the NAB can be forwarded to [email protected] or texts to 0476 220 003
Some common scams include calls from purporting to be from Amazon about a purchase you supposedly made, a call from an internet provider saying you have a problem and they need to fix it, a message from a courier company that you have a package they need to deliver and a message saying
you have a problem with the ATO.
TEXT MESSAGES
You could receive an SMS asking you to click on a link to provide personal or banking information, or make a payment.
Examples include asking you to confirm a parcel/courier delivery, telling you your bank account has been locked or asking you to click on an offer or reward.
EMAILS
You may receive an email that appears to be from a legitimate company, a bank or government department, or someone pretending to need your help.
They may ask you for your bank details or to click on a link.
These links can download a virus to your computer or take you to a fake website to get your personal or banking details.
SOCIAL MEDIA
You might get a message on a social media or messaging app asking for information about you or even for money.
A friend in trouble needing urgent money is a typical social media scam.
