Investigators help fight against scammers.
Thieves use ingenious schemes to defraud thousands of Australians every year. They often combine new technology with old tricks to get people to send money or give out personal information. Here are some of our investigators practical tips our offer to help you stay a step ahead.
Do online searches.
Type a company or product name into your favourite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “ATO call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
Don’t believe your caller ID.
Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, ask for the number, call back to a number, so you know it is genuine.
Consider how you pay.
Credit cards have significant fraud protection built-in, but some payment methods don’t. Transferring funds through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it’s nearly impossible to get your money back. That’s also true for reloadable cards (like Corporate cards or travel Money) and gift cards (like iTunes or Google Play). Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.
Talk to someone scammers hate this.
Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert like SWA’s team — or just tell a friend.
Be sceptical about free trial offers.
Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.
Get as much proof as possible:
Be sure the produce or item you are buying online exists, Get as much proof as possible. If you still not convinced and its as significant transaction get someone to sight the item and confirm the details.
Don’t get Scammers
At SWA, we can have qualified investigators who can attend an address within Australia to confirm the validity, details, and location of your purchase. Our team makes every effort to give you peace of mind that it truly exists and the identity of the person you are dealing with
If your worried that you have been scammed or think the person is not who they say they are, call and talk to one our investigators for a FREE 30 min consultation 1300 557 864
Other important tips can be found at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/get-help/protect-yourself-from-scams
