Scams have cost South Australians more than $15 million in 2023 so far with 13,183 scams reported to the ACCC's Scamwatch.
This morning, Minister Michaels will be hosting a forum on how to avoid being scammed at the Colonel Lights Garden Uniting Church at 10am – 12pm with Labor MP for Elder Nadia Clancy and SAPOL to let locals know what to look out for.
The most common scams being reported to Consumer and Business Services (CBS) include:
- Romance scams — where scammers pretend to be prospective companions and play on emotional triggers to get their target to provide money, gifts, or personal details.
- Investment scams — which usually involve promises of big payouts, quick money or guaranteed returns.
- Classified scams — which trick online shoppers on classified websites into thinking they are dealing with a legitimate contact. The scammer usually advertises an item at a low price and promises that an agent will deliver the goods following receipt of payment. The purchaser may receive a fake email receipt claiming to be from the website's secure payment provider but they won't receive the goods and won't be able to contact the seller.
- Selling scams — which involve a scammer posing as a genuine buyer for items a person has advertised for sale. Scammers may overpay for an item and ask for reimbursement, usually through an online banking transfer, pre-loaded money card, or wire transfer before the seller discovers that their cheque has bounced. Sellers may lose their item and the money they have paid out.
South Australian seniors are also being urged to be aware of a scam website, which attempts to charge applicants a fee in exchange for a Seniors Card.
The misleading website, www.seniorscardportal.au, claims to be 'officially approved' and charges applicants a fee of $29 to coordinate the application process.
Seniors should be aware that the legitimate SA Seniors Card is always free of charge and applicants are never requested to pay a fee, or disclose their bank, credit card or PayPal details in exchange for membership.
CBS officers who take calls regarding scams refer the caller to Scamwatch to report. They also give tips to the caller on how they can protect themselves and refer them to SAPOL where appropriate.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has noted an exponential growth in scams via social media sites with investment scams hitting the hardest across Australia.
The best way to combat scams is to make sure people are informed and Minister Michaels will be speaking about red flags to watch out for including:
- Claims that it's an amazing opportunity to make or save money.
- Someone you haven't met needs your help and money.
- The message contains suspicious links or attachments.
- You feel pressured to act quickly.
- They ask you to pay in an unusual or specific ways.
- They ask you to set up new accounts or PayIDs.
For more information about scams, where to get help if you've been scammed or to report a scam, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au
As put by Andrea Michaels
The best way to avoid being scammed is to know what red flags to look for. Forums like this one are an important opportunity to share information on the latest scams that are going around and provide advice on how to avoid being tricked.
Many of us believe we would never fall for a scam but scammers are becoming more sophisticated and taking advantage of new technology to target people.
If you've been contacted by someone out of the blue, even if they claim to be from the government or a trusted business, always consider that it may be a scam.
Don't send money or give bank or personal details to anyone you don't know or trust.
A government agency or trusted business will never ask you to pay by unusual methods such as with gift cards, iTunes cards, wire transfers or bitcoin.
Never open anything that looks suspicious including text messages, pop-up windows, links or attachments in emails.
