What scams should I look out for? SCAM ALERT

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE BY BEING AWARE OF THE LATEST CYBER CONS

In 2022 alone, Aussies lost a whopping $526 million to scams (and this is only the amount reported to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [ACCC]).

Though those aged 55 and over lost the most amount of money, coming in at around $220 million, scammers target just about everyone, here are the scams you need to know now:

‘HI MUM’ MESSAGES Known as the ‘Hi Mum’ or ‘Family Impersonation’ scam, this crafty con has taken many forms over the last year.

The scammers send victims messages (typically via WhatsApp or text) impersonating their children claiming to need an urgent bank transfer for petrol money, groceries or, in extreme cases, an urgent drug debt.

President of cybersecurity software provider ESET, Parvinder Walia says scammers use psychological techniques such as trust, empathy and urgency to dupe victims.

“Care should be taken with any text message that is received, and unexpected,” says Walia.

SURVEY SCAMS
Though survey scams aren’t anything new, as paid surveys are gaining more popularity due to the ease of smartphone survey apps such as AttaPoll and YouGov, users should be aware of fake surveys.

“Many brands will use legitimate and reputable survey platforms, but you still need to be aware that good scammers can also mimic legitimate survey platforms,” Walia says.

“Do your homework if a survey looks suspicious, check online to see if it has been reported as a scam, or contact the brand to see if they are actually running a survey.”