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 Information you can use!Scams and Consumer Issues |
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Local residents should always be vigilent and watch out for scams.
And as a community service, Alistair has produced an information brochure to help ensure that local residents have the best chance of avoiding a number of scams that are active in the Frankston electorate.
Scams are designed to trick people into giving away money or personal information and people should guard against fraud by protecting their privacy and financial details.
The top five scams reported in Frankstonduring the last financial year were:
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 | Get Rich Quick Schemes | |
Unauthorised Advertising (Blowers) | |
On-line Fraud | |
Bogus Lottery Schemes | |
Advance Fee Fraud (Nigerian Style) | |
Investment & Financial Scams | |
Unsolicited Mail, Telefraud & Mail Fraud | |
Prize Award / Merchandise Offers | |
Bogus Employment Schemes | |
Chain Letter / Pyramid Selling Schemes | |
Fax Back / Telephone Call Back Scams | |
Itinerant Traders / Door-to-Door Scams |
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Residents need to be aware of the scams so they can protect themselves from being conned out of their hard-earned money or their personal details.
The Brumby Labor Government is standing up for Victorians by making sure they know there are risks when communicating, buying and banking online and giving them the support and advice they need to protect themselves.
There are many different types of scam and con artists can try and contact you by mail, email, telephone, over the Internet and door-to-door. Anyone can be scammed.
Scammers are getting more sophisticated in their approach to conning you out of your money and personal information, using email and other forms of technology to get to you.
Scammers are constantly thinking up new ways to re-invent old scams to ensure their dodgy offers appear official and legitimate.
But don’t be fooled. Always remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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There are a few simple steps that Frankston residents can take to protect themselves from this kind of scam:
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| Hang up on telemarketers asking for up-front fees for large cash prizes; | |
Don’t respond immediately to any unsolicited offers or deals. Stop and take time to check they are genuine; | |
Ignore letters or emails announcing you have won large cash prizes | |
Never click on a link provided in an unsolicited email as it will probably lead to a fake website designed to or introduce a virus onto your computer; | |
Never provide personal details or transfer money to a company or person you do not know and trust |
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In the end, the only people who making money from these so-called lotteries, prize draws and get-rich-quick schemes are the fraudsters trying to scam you.
Consumer Affairs Victoria runs a ‘dob in a scam’ service. To look up or report the latest scams, visit www.consumer.vic.gov.au or call 1300 558 181.
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