B2B with a Twist Publication - Work • Stay • Play October Edition Work • Stay • Play April-May 2017 Edition | Page 21

Warning: Central Coast Residents
Scams are taking your hard earnt
money, BE AWARE, millions of
Australia dollars are lost each year
due to scams.
www.scamwatch.gov.au/
insurance costs, government taxes, bank fees or courier charges.
The scammers make money by continually collecting these fees
from you and stalling the payment of your winnings.
Identity Theft
Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves using someone else’s
identity to steal money or gain other benefits.
Statistics:
In January and February 2017 alone there have
been 2,295 reports of Identity Theft scams with 860 of those
reports being in NSW. The total amount of funds lost in Australia is
$59,839 with people between the ages of 25-65 being the most
vulnerable target. 53% of these reports were made by females,
44.6% by males and 2.4% by gender X.
Common types of identity theft methods:
Phishing - the scammer tricks you into handing over your
personal information. Hacking - the scammer gains access to your
information by exploiting security weaknesses on your computer,
mobile device or network. Remote access scams - the scammer
tricks you into giving access to your computer and paying for a
service you don’t need. Malware & ransomware - the scammer
installs software on your computer that allows them to access
your files or watch what you are doing on your computer. Fake
online profiles - the scammer sets up a fake profile on a social
media or dating site and sends you a ‘friend’ or ‘connection’
request. Document theft - the scammer get access to your private
information through unlocked mailboxes or discarded personal
documents such as utility bills, insurance renewals or health care
records.
How it works: Malware scammers send emails and social
media messages at random with links purporting to be videos on
something topical like news, an event or something interesting. If
you click on the link you may be taken to a fake website that looks
like the real deal, complete with logos and branding of legitimate
sites. In order to view the video, you will be asked to install some
software, such as a ‘codec’, to be able to access the video format.
If you download the software, your computer will be infected
with malware. Ransomware is a type of malware that blocks or
limits access to your computer or files, and demands a ransom
be paid to the scammer for them to be unlocked.
Niger ian Scams
Nigerian scams involve offering you a share in a large sum of
money on the condition you help them to transfer it out of their
country.
Statistics:
In January and February 2017 alone there have
been 333 reports of Nigerian scams with 28 of those reports being
in NSW. The total amount of funds lost in Australia is $312,517 with
people between the ages of 25-54 being the biggest target. 56.9%
of these reports were made by females, 37.6% by males and 5.5%
by gender X.
How it works:
Malware tricks you into installing software that allows scammers to
access your files and track what you are doing, while ransomware
demands payment to ‘unlock’ your computer or files. The total amount of reported money Australia has lost in January
and February 2017 due to scams is $12,595,099
Statistics: In January and
February 2017 alone there have
been 1,197 reports of malware & ransomware scams with 486
of those reports being in NSW. The total amount of funds lost in
Australia is $45,140 with people over the age of 65 being the most
vulnerable target. 55.7% of these reports were made by females,
42.6% by males and 1.6% by gender X.
Editors Note
This figure is expected to be a lot higher as
many scams go unreported.
Malware & Ransomware The scammer will tell you an elaborate
fake story about large amounts of money ‘trapped’ in central
banks during civil wars or coups, often in countries currently in
the news. Or they may tell you about a large inheritance that is
‘difficult to access’ because of government restrictions or taxes
in their country. The scammer may contact you by email, letter,
text message or social networking message. They will offer you a
large sum of money to help them transfer their personal fortune
out of their country.
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