Beware fraudsters targeting scam victims

It comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported there had been a 725 percent increase in money recovery scams in Australia.

RACQ spokesperson Kate Leonard-Jones said these scams targeted people who had already lost money to a previous con by promising to help victims recover their losses after paying a fee in advance.

“Unfortunately, the ACCC reports Australians have lost $270,000 to these scams so far this year,” Ms Leonard-Jones said.

“These scammers may pose as a trusted organisation such as a law firm, fraud taskforce or government agency and can even use official looking websites and fake testimonials to make them appear legitimate.

“As well as an up-front payment they often ask victims to fill out fake paperwork, provide identity documents or give the scammer remote access to their computer or phone.”

Ms Leonard-Jones said if you were contacted by someone offering to help recover money for a fee, it was a scam.

“Scammers target everyone, and they sound genuine. We’re really urging people to be mindful of who they are in contact with and if they are in doubt to hang up the phone or delete the email,” she said.

“If you have lost money to a scam or given out your personal details to a scammer, you’re unlikely to get your money back. However, there are steps you can take straight away to limit the damage and protect yourself from further loss. You should contact your bank or financial institution as soon as possible. Fraud and security teams are ready to help.

“You should also report suspicious behaviour to the police and ACCC at scamwatch.gov.au.”

Tips to protect yourself:

• Scammers use your personal details to make you believe you have dealt with them before and make the scam appear legitimate.
• Scammers may contact you regularly to build trust and convince you that they are your friend.
• Scammers play with your emotions by using the excitement of a win or even the promise of everlasting love.
• Scammers like to create a sense of urgency, so you don’t have time to think things through and react on emotions rather than logic.
• Don’t send money or personal information to people that you do not know or only met online.
• Never share passwords and personal information. Anyone asking for a password is probably a scammer.
• Use up to date anti-virus software to protect your computer.