Scams - Part 2

To deliver these lies to you, scammers will use a range of communication methods.

Over the phone scams

Scammers call and SMS too.

Phone calls are made by scammers to homes and businesses in a wide variety of scams, from threatening tax scams to offers of prizes or ‘help’ with computer viruses. The availability of cheap Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone calls means call centres can operate offshore with telephone numbers that look like their local numbers. Telephone caller identification can easily be disguised and is one of the many tricks scammers use to make you believe they are someone else.

SMS text messages are used by scammers to send a whole range of scams, including competition or prize scams. If you respond, you may be charged at premium rates or find yourself signed up to a subscription service. It is safer not to respond or click on links in text messages unless you know who they came from. They can also contain attachments or links to malicious software in the guise of photos, songs, games or apps.

At your door scams

Watch out—some scammers will come right to your door to try and scam you.

Door-to-door scams usually involve the scammer promoting goods or services that are not delivered or are of inferior quality. You may even get billed for work that you did not want or agree to. A common door-to-door scam is carried out by dodgy traders who move from place to place and do shoddy home repairs or just take your money and run.

Legitimate businesses can sell door-to-door but must clearly identify themselves and their company and follow other rules. You have specific rights when it comes to door-to-door sales practices, including the chance to change your mind—find out more at www.accc.gov.au/doortodoor.

Scammers can pose as fake charity workers to collect donations.

They will take advantage of recent events like floods and bushfires.

Before donating ask for identification and see their official receipt book.

Bulk mailing is still used to send lottery and sweepstake scams, investment opportunities, Nigerian scams and fake inheritance letters. A glossy brochure is no guarantee that an offer is legitimate.

Regardless of the delivery method they use, their story is always the bait, and if you bite, the scammer will attempt to move you to the next stage.

Communication and grooming scams

If you give them a chance to talk to you, they will start using tricks in their scammers’ toolbox to convince you to part with your money.

Scammer’s tools can involve the following: • Scammers spin elaborate, yet convincing stories to get what they want. • They use your personal details to make you believe you have dealt with them before and make the scam appear legitimate. • Scammers may contact you regularly to build trust and convince you that they are your friend, partner or romantic interest. • They play with your emotions by using the excitement of a win, the promise of everlasting love, sympathy for an unfortunate accident, guilt about not helping or anxiety and fear of arrest or a fine. • Scammers love to create a sense of urgency, so you don’t have time to think things through and react on emotions rather than logic.

Similarly, they use high-pressure sales tactics, saying it is a limited offer, prices will rise, or the market will move, and the opportunity will be lost. • A scam can have all the hallmarks of a real business using glossy brochures with technical industry jargon backed up with office fronts, call centres and professional websites. • With access to the internet and intelligent software, it is easy for scammers to create counterfeit and official-looking documents.

A document that appears to have government approval or is filled with legal jargon can give a scam an air of authority.

The scammer’s tools are designed to get you to lower your defences, build trust in the story and act quickly or irrationally and proceed to the final stage—sending the money.

Sending the money scams

Sometimes the most significant clue you will have that it is a scam is the way the scammer asks you to pay.

Asking for money can come within minutes of the scam or after months of careful grooming. Scammers have their preferences for how you send your payment.

Scammers have been known to direct victims to their nearest money remittance location (post office, wire transfer service or even the bank) to send money. They have been known to stay on the phone, give specific instructions and may also send a taxi to help with this.

Scammers are willing to accept money by any means, and this can include direct bank transfers, preloaded debit cards, gift cards, Google Play, Steam, or iTunes cards or virtual currency such as Bitcoin. Any request for payment by an unusual method is a tell-tale sign that it is part of a scam.

Credit cards usually offer some protection, and you should also look for secure payment options where ‘https’ appears in the web address, and the site has a closed padlock symbol.

Don’t send money to someone you have only met online or over the phone—especially if they are overseas.

Be aware that scammers can also ask for payment in the form of valuable goods and expensive gifts such as jewellery or electronics.

Paying money to scammers isn’t the only thing you should worry about—if you help transfer money for a stranger you may unwittingly be involved in illegal money laundering activities.

Be wary of voicemail and text message scams

1. https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/scam-quiz

What do jails mass produce?

1. Smarter criminals, released, caught, sent back, get refresher courses.
2. What are the channels of scams delivery?

• 46.9% physical mail
• 23% email / phone
• 14% text
• 3.8% Social media

1. Which gender loses the most $ to scams?

• Men lose the most $, but women reported the most times

1. Types of Scam

• Call you and no answer - then you call back - then your phone bill super high
• Physical home mailbox scam - Physical letters deposited into victim’s mailbox to lure a victim on some inheritance from long lost relative, won a trip overseas, lottery, some form of incentive to get the victim to transfer money, gift cards, etc. to get the more significant money.
• Fake Tradies deposit glossy brochures into a mailbox.

1. If you are talking to someone on the phone that you don't trust, what should you do?

• Do not engage them. Do not chat with them. Don’t waste 30 mins of your life to string them on. The longer you talk to them, the higher the risk you will change your mind or get tempted to reveal personal details and fall into their trap losing money. They might get angry at you for wasting their time and harm you.

1. If you answer phone calls with "Yes", what will happen

• You will get high bills. Very very very high
• Scammer trap “Hello, sorry I can’t hear you, can u hear me?” - You answer “Yes”  - use recordings to charge you $$$.

1. How much $ are scammed from Australia a year and in which categories

• According to ACCC Consumer Protection Body Yearly Report    
• $490 million scammed in 2018
• Investment scams = $86 mil - occur over long years
• Dating & romance scams = $60.5 mil
• Remote Access to your computer to install a key logger and other viruses = $4 mil
• These are only scam figures that are reported. The amount of money lost to scam is significantly higher for undetected/unreported scams.
• Target audience > 55-year-old, 48% reported. These people have lots of money and access to their superannuation / CPF money, non-computer savvy, trusty and lonely.

1. Scam Quick Tests sold online to test for Coronaviruses.

Home

1. House break-ins can happen at residential, industrial and commercial premises. Besides the damages to the premises and the loss of valuables, you and your loved ones may be harmed by the intruder. To stay safe, take preventive measures to enhance the security of your premises.
2. > Make sure that all doors, windows and other openings are properly secured with strong grilles and good quality close shackle locks. Change the lock promptly if the key is lost or stolen
3. > Do not leave large sums of cash in your premises. Jewellery and valuable items should be kept in a bank or a good quality safe
4. > Cancel all deliveries (for example newspapers, magazines) when on holiday or business closures, even if it is for a few days
5. > Install adequate CCTV systems or security alarms. Service them regularly and ensure that they are in good working condition
6. > Secure all doors and windows before retiring to bed, end of daily business operations or leaving premises unattended for a short while
7. > Avoid leaving valuables such as wallets, bags, cash, handphones, and laptops near the window along the common corridor
8. > Arrange for trusted persons such as relatives, to clear your mailbox and check on your premises when you are away, even if it is for a few days and
9. > For private housing estates, ensure that the access areas of the premises, such as the front porch are adequately lit during the hours of darkness to deter would-be criminals.
10. If the premise is undergoing renovation
11. > Secure your vacant unit with a close shackled lock and
12. > Do not leave home appliances in your vacant unit. Arrange for the delivery of such items after you have moved in.
13. How do conmen, fake tradesmen pressure you to buy their services or donate to charity

• They stand over you & want you to go ATM to get $. Don’t engage with them. Don’t string them along. Turn your back and walk inside. Don’t need to be polite to conmen and call the police.

1. What seasons do travelling conmen usually come in?

• Spring and Summer
• Don't hire door to door knocking tradies to do house repairs or jobs - might be unqualified or unprofessional travelling conmen. 
• Don't buy stuff or donate to a charity that comes knocking on doors. Life is filled with unforeseen financial disasters as proven by the novel coronaviruses, culture, economic crisis, bank frauds, to name a few that was reported. Notwithstanding unreported and unsolved crimes. Keep working hard and smart until you die, then write in your will to donate x% of your assets to the orphanage of sociopaths and psychopaths who are not financially independent. Make sure your own children have enough to survive. 
• Conmen pretending to be from authorities or businesses offering deals at cheaper costs
• Authorities do not randomly knock on people's doors offering to sell services.
• Scammers and conmen are out to fix your roof for a very low price - but only if you pay now. There is a good chance nothing is wrong with your roof. If the tradie or scammer or conmen insist on you paying now and offer to drive you to an ATM or bank, alarm bells should ring and get yourself to somewhere safe.

Online

1. People who try to hack Facebook account usually download software that is available on various websites. The software will collect the victim’s password (the one who downloaded this software) as soon as it is opened or installed. Some software prompt you to enter Facebook username and password. They will store your password in their database collection of passwords. Few other software gains administrative privilege from you to install background keylogger to get your keystrokes, including the Facebook password.

Business

1. Retail stores cashiers can sometimes accidentally or intentionally enter the wrong amount on the EFTPOS machine to charge you when you tap your credit card. Store's cashier EFTPOS machine can be used to skim your debit or credit card details to charge you with fraudulent transactions. 
2. Most criminals share the same call centre for different business brand scams. 

Protect

1. Never use a phone number or other contact details they have given you, check with someone you trust as there is a good possibility the contact details are to another conman ready to take the call.
2. Never pay with vouchers such as iTunes purchased at the supermarket.
3. If you feel threatened and go to the bank with them, tell the bank teller you are feeling threatened and being forced to take the money out. They have been trained in how to assist you.
4. When out shopping or other events, stay with the crowd or inside the shop, check your bus app live bus times and plan your walk time, so the time taken when you exit the shop to reaching the bus stop will be just a bit early before the bus arrives, so you spend less time out in the open. 
5. We are never alone for we are under the watchful eye of God & the country's police CCTVs that are more numerous than the nation's prostitutes and wanton women combined. 
6. If your child is lost in the mall, display your child's photo on your phone and tell a nearby mall staff to use his or her own phone to take a picture of your child's displayed image and send to the mall's group email or group chatbox and notify security and all mall's management and employees to help find your lost child.  
7. Beware of women with loose morals stealing money from your bank account and cash from your wallet when you are sleeping after sex.
8. Overseas scam phone numbers can pretend and appear to be local phone numbers on your phone. 
9. Rental Scam > The scam involves a culprit renting a housing unit (or part of the unit) to several victims concurrently. As part of the rental agreement, the victims would be asked to furnish up-front deposit. In some cases, the culprit does not have the authority to rent out the unit. > Report such instances to Police immediately. > Seek the services of a licensed estate agent or property agent. Before you engage their services, you should confirm their identities and the validity of their licences. > Visit the housing unit which you intend to rent to verify its existence, state of condition and signs of multiple subletting. You should obtain feedback on the housing unit from the neighbours, existing/past tenants, etc. You should also confirm the ownership of the housing unit through verifying against original documents. > Request the house owner to show you the original copy of the approval letter from the regulatory authority if you are renting the whole house. > Verify the identities of the person whom you are dealing with and their relationship to the house, especially when you are not engaging the services of a licensed estate agent. You should confirm their identities against the originals, and you should meet the house owner. > Do not make any advance payment until the tenancy is established. Request the house owner to register your particulars with the housing regulatory body immediately. > Do not make payments using vast sums of cash. You should try to pay the rental deposit and rents by bank transfer for documentary proof.
10. Impersonation Scam > Do not allow anyone who claims to be a government official or repairman to enter your house without verifying his identity. If in doubt, confirm his identity with his agency or company, or contact your family members or Police for assistance. > Do not keep large sums of money or valuables in the house. Keep the money in a safe or deposit it in the bank. The criminal will impersonate Police officers or Court officials and accuse you of being involved in criminal offences like money laundering, unlicensed moneylending cases, etc. The criminal will ask you for money to let you off. > Call the Police immediately to report the incident.
11. Impersonation Phone Scam > The criminal will impersonate Police officers or Court officials and accuse you of being involved in criminal offences like money laundering, unlicensed moneylending case, etc. The criminal will ask you for money to let you off. > Call the Police immediately to report the incident. > Do not transfer any money via remittance agencies, banks or any other means. > Ignore such phone calls. For any welfare scheme or tax-related matters, the authorities will provide notification via official letters. Government officials or personnel would not ask anyone to make any transfer of funds through phone calls. In another variant, the criminal would inform the victim of his entitlement to an income tax discount or eligibility to government welfare benefits. In some instances. The criminal could cite the victim's name and passport number. The criminal would persuade the victim to proceed to the nearest ATM machine on the pretext of guiding the victim in claiming the tax discount or government welfare benefits. The victim would only realise that he has been cheated after observing that the transaction receipt indicates that money has been transferred to another account.
12. Lottery Phone Scam > The criminal will inform you that you had won a prize in a foreign lottery/lucky drew, The criminal will request for an advance payment to help you process the claiming of the prize. > Call Police immediately at '999' to report the case. > Do not make any advance payment to claim any prize money. Winning a lucky draw or lottery does not require you to make any advance payment. > Ignore such notifications especially when you did not purchase any ticket or participate in any such draws.
13. Kidnap Phone Scam > The criminal will tell you that your family member had been kidnapped and demand that a ransom be paid, In some instances, you can hear cries for help in the background, > Call Police immediately at '999' to report the case. > Remain calm and contact your loved ones immediately to confirm his or her safety. > Do not transfer any money via remittance agencies, banks or any other means to the caller.
14. Theft of Bicycle > Bicycle theft can be prevented. It is every bicycle owner's responsibility to ensure that his/her bicycle is adequately secured to prevent it from being a target of theft. Bicycle owners are encouraged to adopt the following measures to safeguard their bicycles and minimise the risk of being a victim of bicycle theft. >Keep your bicycle at home when you are not using it. > If you need to part your bicycle at a public place, choose one with high human traffic and is well lit, preferably with CCTV monitoring. > Secure your bicycle to a permanent structure such as a bicycle rack. > Ensure all removable bicycle components are locked or secured. > Make permanent identification marks such as engravings or affix the Bicycle Security Label on the body of your bicycle.
15. Theft of Petrol from Motorcycles > The culprit would commit the theft by disconnecting the tube connecting the fuel tank to the carburettor. Motorcycle owners are to be extra vigilant and adopt the following measures: > Park in well-lit areas > Install an anti-theft system > Call Police immediately at '999' if you notice any suspicious character loitering around the carparks, especially if the person is carrying several plastic bottles or jerry cans. > Remove valuables for example laptops before leaving your vehicle even if it is for a short while > Wind up all windows and close all doors of your vehicle, also if it is left unattended for a short while, > Ensure that your vehicle has been appropriately secured and look around the vicinity for suspicious characters before leaving. If you see any shady characters, take note of their appearance, attire, height or any other distinctive physical features and inform the Police for assistance. Do not confront them.
16. If molested, shout for help immediately, seek help from people nearby or activate a shrill alarm to increase the chances of apprehending the culprit early. Call Police immediately at '999'; and > Approach the station manager or contact Police for assistance if you see any suspicious-looking people. For young children > Young children should be accompanied home at all times. Ensure that your young ones do not wander in public places alone without adult supervision, and> Remind your young ones not to talk to strangers. If you are confronted by a molester, stay calm and take note of his/her appearance, attire, height, or any other distinctive physical features. Call the Police as soon as possible so that our officers can reach the location quickly to assist you.
17. If a police officer or repairman knock on the door, tell them to wait, while you call the police hotline to verify their identity.
18. How to reduce the risk of the elderly being scammed? Teach the elderly how to block scam calls.

Scams - Part 1

Scams - Part 3