When a text message is too good to be true
Tips to help you thwart opportunistic crooks targeting your mobile phone.
Mobile phones have revolutionised the way we live. The ability to be instantly contactable has given comfort to those of us concerned about our loved ones’ whereabouts and wellbeing and has made social gatherings much easier to organise.
No more sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, it’s with you wherever you are.
However, the advent of the smart phone has also created opportunities for criminals who want to scam us, by voice, text (SMS) or one of many social media and messaging apps.
The “confidence trickster” no longer needs to ply their trade in person, they can do it across the internet, often from thousands of kilometres away, giving them a sense of immunity from Australian law (even though that is not necessarily the case).
The tricks they use change from time to time but often involve trying to convince you that they represent somebody you have financial dealings with – a bank, charity, utility, service provider or government body.
The good news is that in most instances, although they pretend otherwise, the scammers often know nothing about you – they have just accumulated a lot of phone numbers and are blitzing them with the same messages. While you may get a message purportedly from your own bank, you may also get one that appears to be from an institution you’ve never dealt with in your life.
The scammers are playing a numbers game – if they send out enough texts or emails, or make enough phone calls, they are bound to get somebody who will fall into their trap.
Some scams are transparent – who really believes that they have won a lottery they never entered? (you might be surprised) – but others are more sophisticated and cynically designed to pull at the heart strings.
A particularly cruel scam involves a text message pretending to be from a family member or friend who has supposedly lost their phone and is using a borrowed device to obtain cash to deal with an emergency.
One phone user received the following SMS scams in just a matter of days:
- “Hi. This is a reminder from Linkt. Your vehicle has been suspended. Please pay your overdue toll invoice immediately to remove the limitation at [web address].”
- “Public transport February 5 has not been deducted successfully and has been overdue for a very long time. [Web address]”
- “The number on your CommBank account has been changed. Don’t recognise this change? Visit: [web address]”
- “Hi. We are urgently recruiting for part-time jobs, you can earn $250-$500 every day, add [What’sApp number].”
Although the messaging may seem real, no legitimate organisation is going to contact you in this way. Never click on their links or call the phone numbers they provide. The former can infect your phone or other device with a virus and the latter just confirms to the sender that your number is real, ensuring more of the same is on the way.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) advises it’s probably a scam if:
A call or text sounds too good to be true.
Someone you don't know has your personal details.
Someone claiming to be from your bank (or another institution that you trust) calls or texts you to ask for personal information or money.
You are threatened or made to feel afraid.
Someone asks to access your computer.
ACMA also suggests these steps to help protect yourself from phone scams:
Don’t answer if you don’t know who it is. Let the call go to voicemail first. If the caller leaves a number, check that it matches the one on their website.
Don’t reply or click on any links in text messages.
Don’t ever send money.
Don’t ever tell anyone your personal details, passwords or other sensitive information.
Don’t ever let someone take control of your computer.
If you believe you have been affected, you can report it through Scamwatch, an initiative of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
