As technology develops, scams continue to be more sophisticated and harder to spot. Avoid scammer’s tricks and follow our helpful tips to stay alert.
Romance Scams
There is a wealth of options when it comes to meeting someone online. Whether you make a connection on a dating website or a social network like Facebook, it’s important to be cautious.
Scammers often use fake profile pictures and information to build a relationship with you. Over time they will create trust and later use this trust to manipulate you.
If an online admirer asks for financial help for any reason, cease contact immediately, no matter how genuine they sound.
Look at romance scam warning signs.
Funeral Scams
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, many funeral homes have allowed live video footage of services. Scammers are now using this service to trick people out of their money by requesting funds to view funerals.
These live video streams are paid for by the person who has booked the service. You should never send money or provide bank details.
It’s best to contact the funeral business directly for live-streaming details. Use contact details that you have found yourself from the phone book or the business’s actual website. Otherwise, a link from a scammer might take you to a fake page.
Learn more about funeral scams.
PayID
PayID is a legitimate form of payment, created by banks to make transferring money easier. However, like many services, scammers have found a way to exploit it.
If you are buying or selling an item online, scammers will often request to use PayID. Then they will make an excuse about the payment failing or issues with the process. They will tell you that they need to upgrade their account and ask you to reimburse this extra cost. Any money you transfer will be lost. Be careful, they may even create text messages and emails that appear to be from PayID to convince you of their scheme.
Bitumen Bandits
Travelling conmen are approaching homes and offering substandard bitumen services. The organised criminals use high-pressure tactics and cost South Australians over $100,000 just last year. They’ll knock on your door, offer a cheap rate for leftover bitumen, and ask for cash in hand. They may also use letter box drops, flyers, and posters to solicit business.
Don’t be fooled into promises of cheap work by these unlicensed tradies.
Learn more about these tradies, and what to do if you’ve encountered them.
Want more tips to stay ahead of the scammers?
Review the Scamwatch website to see the latest news on scams in Australia.
Please report any suspected scams to Scamwatch: scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.
Please report any concerns about bitumen bandits to Consumer and Business Services (CBS) via the online consumer complaints form or phone 131 882.
If you have been scammed:
- contact your bank straight away so you don’t lose any more money.
- contact IDCARE. They can help you make a plan (for free) to help fix the damage. Call them on 1800 595 160 or visit idcare.org to find out more.
- if you need someone to talk to, reach out to family and friends or contact Lifeline (phone 13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (phone 1300 22 4636).