Dangerous Scams Created By Technology

Dangerous Scams In 2020

Already we have seen dangerous scams concerning the Bushfires and now Coronavirus (Covid-19) and we are only in the fourth month of the year. Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) report on increasing numbers of scammers contacting people playing on people’s fears and selling products to prevent or cure the virus. The numbers, 94 since January 1^st are starting to climb for the Coronavirus. Contact is usually via phishing emails or text messages but could be telephone calls as well. These scammers are also after your personal data so providing them with information to then execute identity theft.

Scammers are impersonating official organisations such as the World Health Organisation, Australian Department of Health, legitimate businesses such as travel agents and telco companies.

The same can be said for Bushfire victims (and any other natural disaster scenarios) with the scammers pretend to be associated with well-known charities, large businesses and Government departments making them seem legitimate. These scams are dangerous as they are after your money and or your personal details. Again the contact can be telephone calls, emails, texts/messages and even door to door charity canvassers. If you are unsure of a charity and their validity then you can check here: https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity

If you believe you have been scammed by the above, or anyone else then report to your bank the details immediately, report the scam to: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam and/or find more information here: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/get-help

Dangerous Scams In 2019

As of 9^th February 2020, Romance and dating scammers are still one of the top areas for dangerous scams where Australians get taken for money and personal data. Australians reported almost 4,000 of these scams in 2019 with losses of more than A$28.6 million and these numbers are estimated to be the tip of the iceberg due to embarrassment being a major factor for people not reporting them.

Facts About Scams

Some of the new 2019 platforms that scammers are using include Google Hangouts and online games such as Words with Friends and Scrabble to con their victims. Some important facts with these dangerous scams are:

• 4% of dating and romance scams occur via social media and online forums
• The highest losses reported occurred via social media (over 33% or A$9.1 million)
• Facebook, unsurprisingly was the social media site of choice for scammers with the highest losses totalling 7.3% of all losses.
• People aged 45 to 64 were most affected with 1470 reports totalling over A$18 million, or 63% of total losses.
• Women reported 54.9% totalling 2165 reports on the dating/romance scams with 43.3% for men and 1.8% not specifying.
• Women reported the highest losses of A$21.5 million (75.3%). Men reported A$& million or 24.6%.
• The majority of losses occurred via bank transfer totalling A$9.7 million (33.8%) other payment methods were iTunes, Steam, Google Play gift cards totalling A$8.8 million (30.8%)
• For more detailed information we suggest accessing this site: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/news/romance-scammers-move-to-new-apps-costing-aussies-more-than-286-million
• Dating and Romance scams take advantage of people looking for love or companionship playing on emotional triggers to get you to provide money, gifts and/or personal details such as banking or credit card details.
• Some more sophisticated scammers send items for you to “post on” such as electronic equipment using some excuse or for you to buy goods and send to somewhere. This activity and others like it could be construed as “money laundering” which is a criminal offence.
• Other scammers ask you to travel overseas, therefore, putting you into a potentially dangerous situation or buy meeting you overseas and asking you to take a “present” back to Australia for them. Either way, this could lead to tragic consequences.

Generation Z And Dangerous Scams

As a final note as of March 10^th 2020 Generation Z (people born from 1997 to 2012) is the fastest growing victims of these types of dangerous scams. In 2019 alone they lost over A$5 million and reports from this age group are increasing faster than any other age category. We are talking here of 12,000 people reporting a scam in this age category with an increase of 11% over 2018. The newer platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat are increasingly hot sites for scammers with online shopping scams the most common.

Remember if you have been scammed then report this to your bank(s) straight away, have your computer of device professionally checked and report this to scamwatch.gov.au, the flatform involved (Facebook) and/or to https://www.esafety.gov.au/

If you need assistance in terms of malware removal, then please do not hesitate to contact us here at Affordable Computer Repairs.