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Are you the victim of a scam? Would you like to be involved in research about scams? If so, you can assist the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT) improve its understanding about scams by completing the 2013 Scam Survey .
The ACFT would like to know about any scams you have received and how you have responded to them. Gathering this information will help to improve the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of scam offenders.
The survey will run until 31 May 2013 and should only take a few minutes to complete. Your participation is entirely voluntary but please only complete the survey once.
What are Scams?
Scams are schemes and ventures that promise unrealistic opportunities to create wealth from investments or to buy services at prices that are far below those you would expect to pay. The people who operate and market scams are usually presented in a very professional and attractive manner.
Scams can be sold and circulated in a number of ways. Direct contact via door-to-door salespeople is common as well as telephone contacts, unsolicited mail or advertisments in newspapers and magazines. Get rich quick scams are increasingly being circulated via the internet.
Visit SCAMwatch for more information about scams, how to report a scam and how to protect yourself.
Check here to see a list of Scam Alerts
What are some common types of scams in Australia?
Chain letters and pyramid schemes - These will ask you to send small amounts of money to several people.
Nigerian scams - These will ask you to provide bank account details for a share in money from overseas.
Uninvited offers, prizes and lottery tickets.
Computerised gambling systems - Software that promises to accurately predict results, usually of horse races and other sports.
Investment and financial offers - From an unexpected telephone call offering an investment opportunity, or an email encouraging you to buy shares that are about to go up based on 'secret' information.
Misleading share promotions and offers - Usually come by email or as a message on an internet forum encouraging you to buy shares in a company that is predicted to increase in value.
Amazing weight loss offers.
Employment offers that promise a lot of income for not a lot of work.
Miracle medical cures - These exploit people who have a medical condition or who are worried about their health.
Fake on-line pharmacies - These use the internet and spam emails to offer drugs and medicine at very cheap prices or with
How do I protect myself from scams? You can avoid being caught in a scam by observing some or all of the following advice:
Ask the name of the person you are speaking to, who they represent, obtain ABNs, addresses, contact telephone numbers and keep notes of conversations.
Ask for explanations of things you do not understand.
Seek professional advice in understanding the offer and terms and conditions of the venture.
Check the bona fides of a company with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Make any decisions carefully and take the time you need - Do not be rushed by high-pressure salespeople and short deadlines.
Do not judge the venture by the professional appearance of the promotional material - The basis of many scams is the seemingly high quality of personnel and material.
Do not provide any financial or personal information before you establish whether the company is legitimate.
Ask questions even if the venture is legitimate, the more questions you ask the better.
If you encounter a problem, do not let embarrassment or fear keep you from reporting fraud or abuse to the appropriate authorities.
Be cautious of 1900 and 0055 telephone numbers as these are often very expensive.
Be wary of free travel and accommodation deals as they are often loaded with terms and conditions that erode any advertised savings.
Report the scam by contacting the Office of Regulatory Services and also ensure to warn friends and family.
What is phishing? Phishing refers to emails that trick people into providing personal and banking information. These emails usually seem to come from legitimate banks and other financial institutions. The scammers are generally trying to get information such as bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers. This information is then used to steal money from you.
Phishing messages and emails often look genuine and appear to be from genuine internet addresses. They often copy logos and message formats used by banks and other financial institutions. This is easily achieved. It is common for phishing messages to contain links to websites that are convincing fakes of the real homepages.
What is a lottery or sweepstake scam? Lottery scams can be an email or letter from an overseas lottery or sweepstakes company that arrives from out of nowhere. It will advise you that you have won money or a prize in a lottery, sweepstakes or competition you have not entered.
Lottery scams will often use the names of legitimate overseas lotteries, often a Spanish lottery, so that even if you do some superficial research the scam will seem real. Some examples of the real Spanish lotteries that scammers falsely use are Loteria Primitiva and El Gordo. It is impossible for you to win these lotteries if you have not bought a ticket from an authorised distributor in Spain.
Other name of lotteries that scammers will often use are the International Lotto Commission and the Princess Diana Lottery.
What are investment seminars and real estate scams? Some investment seminars may try and convince you to follow high risk investment strategies such as borrowing large sums of money to buy property. Others promote investments that involve lending money for no security or with other risky terms. While investment advice can be legitimate and beneficial it is important to look carefully at what an investment sceme or seminar is offering. Attending an expensive seminar or investing in the wrong kind of scheme can be a costly mistake.
You could be invited to an investment seminar in a number of ways. You may receive a letter in the post, see an advertisment in a newspaper or magazine, or hear about it through word of mouth. The seminar may promise that a motivational speaker, an investment expert or even a self made millionaire will give you advice on investing.
What are work from home scams? Work from home scams are often conducted through spam emails, or advertisements on noticeboards. Most of these are not for real jobs. Many of them are actually fronts for a money laundering scam, an upfront payment scam or a pyramid scheme.
You may receive emails offering a job where you are asked to provide your bank account details to receive and pass on payments for a foreign company. These job offers promise that you will receive a percentage or commission for each payment you pass on. Transferring money for someone may be money laundering and you could be breaking the law yourself for taking part in such a scam. Sometimes the scammers are just after your bank account details so they can steal money from you.
List of Scam Alerts released in the A.C.T. 2013 2012
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