SCAMS TARGETING YOU NOW...

Queensland Police recently issued a scam warning to the elderly members of the community. Reports have been received by police about victims being approached by a man and woman claiming to be trades people. The pair are approaching residents and enquiring if they want their roof gutters cleaned or repaired. The pair also request a deposit be paid for their services. The pair has also gained access to homes by asking to use the bathroom.

The pair has been seen driving a white van with a ladder attached to the roof. Police are warning all elderly citizens to be wary of potential swindles, and to always ask for proper identification and credentials if you are being blindly solicited. Never part with any cash for services that have not been rendered, and be cautious about letting individuals into your home for any reason. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and this early warning will help save other elderly people falling victim to this type of scam.

SCAMwatch and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) are also urging consumers and small businesses to be aware of tax refund email scams, with scammers taking advantage of the busy nature of tax time to target you. 

A new phishing email claiming to be from the ATO claims you are entitled to a tax refund. All you have to do is click on an embedded link and complete an online form. However, the online form and link are fake, and designed to steal your personal information or infect your computer with malware.

Scams are increasingly sophisticated these days, with scammers creating slick websites and forms that look like the real deal. These sites may in fact be mirror images of the ATO’s official site, with scam forms designed to be quick and easy to fill out. You may even find a web button that appears to link to your bank or financial institution, when in fact it will send you to another scam site asking for your log-in details or personal information.

There has recently been a surge in reports from small businesses that they have received a fax claiming to be from ‘Yellow Page Australia’ and ‘Open Business Directory Ltd’ that, on first glance, appears to be seeking confirmation of their business’ contact details. However, on closer inspection, the fax is in fact an agreement to sign up to an online business directory service charged at $99 per month for a minimum two-year period. 

Businesses are tricked into thinking the fax is affiliated with Sensis’ Yellow Pages directory by using this well-known Australian company’s name and ‘Walking Fingers’ logo. However, Sensis warns that ‘Yellow Page Australia’, ‘Online Business Directory’ and the website ‘www.yellow-page-australia.com’ are in no way connected with Sensis or Telstra.

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