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Safety from online scams

26 Jun 2024

Can you spot an impersonation scam?

Today’s scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. Previously, poor spelling and grammar made them easy to spot, but new technology means scams are becoming harder to detect.

Each year older Australians lose millions of dollars through scams. Being aware of scams and how they work is one of the important steps towards avoiding them.

Impersonation scams try and trick you into handing over your personal information or paying money by pretending to be from a legitimate organisation that you know. They can appear to be from your bank, internet service provider, a government agency, retailer, or even a scammer pretending to be a friend or family member.

By pretending to be from someone you trust, scammers use a sense of urgency to trick you into making a payment or providing personal information, such as important passwords, credit card or banking details. This is also known as phishing.

They can sometimes be hard to spot because they can look genuine and often copy the format used by the organisation the scammer is impersonating, including their branding and logo.

Scammers use a range of methods to get in touch with you, including text messages, phone calls, emails, social media posts, and fake websites that look identical to official websites. For example, you might receive:

  • a text message from your bank asking you to confirm your password
  • an email from your internet provider asking you to update your details
  • a text message from a family member using a new phone number telling you they have lost their phone and need you to send money urgently
  • a phone call from your financial institution to alert you to an ‘unauthorised or suspicious activity on your account’, or that your account will be closed if you don’t update your details.

Around this time of year, you might see impersonation scams related to tax, pretending to be from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) or another trusted organisation. For example, you might receive a message asking you to confirm your details or pay a fee to receive a tax refund.

While the ATO will sometimes contact you by phone, email, SMS or post, if you're not sure it's really them, do not reply or click on any links. Read their advice on what to do.

How to protect yourself from scams

Remember these 3 important steps from Scamwatch:

  1. STOP – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure. Scammers will offer to help you or ask you to verify who you are by pretending to be from organisations you know and trust.
  2. THINK – Ask yourself could the message or call be fake? Never click a link in a message. Only contact businesses or government using contact information from their official website or through their secure apps. If you’re not sure say no, hang up or delete.
  3. PROTECT – Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank if you notice some unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information.

To help you stay scam savvy, Be Connected has developed the Top 10 tips to protect yourself against impersonation scams guide in partnership with the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch. The guide includes more information on impersonation, top tips to protect yourself and where to go for help if you think you’ve been scammed. Download the free guide from Be Connected’s website.

Find a wide range of free Be Connected resources to improve your online skills at www.beconnected.esafety.gov.au.

 

About Be Connected

Be Connected is an Australian Government initiative implemented in partnership by the Department of Social Services, the eSafety Commissioner and Good Things Foundation Australia, committed to improving the online confidence, skills and safety of older Australians, helping make the online world a safer, more positive place for us all to enjoy. 

For information about online safety, please visit the following links;