Canberrans urged to be on the lookout for email scams


Released 09/12/2016

Access Canberra is reminding Canberrans to be vigilant when checking emails and not to download or run any suspicious files to protect themselves from being scammed.  

The warning comes after scammers, claiming to be the ACT Government, were reported to be asking people to pay traffic infringement notices via email.  

The ACT Commissioner for Fair Trading, David Snowden, said that the Access Canberra Contact Centre had received over 50 calls about the matter this week.  Callers were advised that neither the ACT Government or ACT Police issue traffic or parking infringement notices via email and that they should be deleted.

“Scams can often look like the real thing and can catch people off guard, and I want to ensure that all Canberrans are alert to these scams,” Mr Snowden said.

It is often easy to spot scam emails and some tips for spotting a fake include:

  • generic rather than personal greeting
  • names of organisations that don’t exist
  • poor quality presentation
  • poor grammar and spelling
  • overly official or forced language.

“Never send money or give credit card details, online account details or copies of personal documents to anyone you don’t know or trust,” Mr Snowden said.

“To protect yourself from scams you should not open suspicious texts, pop-up windows or emails. Delete the email immediately and consider running a virus scan of your computer in case the email is infected with a virus.

“To verify the identity of a suspicious email you may be able to do an online search but never use the contact details provided in the message sent to you,” Mr Snowden said.

For more tips on protecting yourself from scams visit www.scamwatch.gov.au

If a person has lost money to a scam or given out personal details to a scammer, they are unlikely to get their money back.  However, they can take steps to limit the damage and protect themselves from further loss. For further information visit www.scamwatch.gov.au

If you have been affected by an online scam and wish to make a report for possible police investigation, visit the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) website at www.acorn.gov.au .

- Statement ends -

Access Canberra | Media Releases

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Tony Murray

(02) 6205 0312

0422 833 616

tony.murray@act.gov.au


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