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Scams
The scams are getting
worse. Everything from fake antivirus software to phone calls
from Microsoft, the ATO, Banks and Technical Support companies,
and of course dont forget the perpetual big winner/inheritence
emails. Be on the lookout for possible scams.
ATO TAX Scam
'Recalculation of your tax refund' email scams
A new email scam claiming to be from the Australian Taxation
Office is currently circulating.
This latest scam has a bogus ATO form attached to it, which asks for
personal details including credit card details and ATM card PIN
numbers. The email asks for the form to be completed, printed, and
sent in to a genuine ATO address.
The email states that 'after a recalculation of your fiscal
activity, we have determined that you are entitled to receive a tax
refund of AU$ xxx'
When the victim fills out the form and clicks the 'print' button,
all of the personal details are instantly sent to a third party
overseas.
After submitting personal details, victims are redirected back to
the genuine ATO website.
These scams are predominantly designed to conduct identity theft and
credit card fraud.
From time to time, the ATO may amend your tax return (for example,
because of a data-matching exercise). If this happens, we will send
you an amended notice of assessment on paper to your postal address.
It will never be sent by email.
1st July 2011
Read more
http://www.ato.gov.au/onlineservices/content.aspx?doc=/content/62347.htm&page=8&H8
Microsoft warns Australians of a Phone Scam
Microsoft warned Australians to be wary of a phone scam that has
left some victims hundreds of dollars out of pocket. Scammers are
using several well-known brands, including Microsoft, to fool people
into believing that something is wrong with their computers. The
scam typically unfolds in following manner:
A cold caller, claiming to be a representative of Microsoft, one of
its brands or a third party contracted by Microsoft, tells the
victim they're checking into a computer problem, infection or virus
that has been detected by Microsoft.
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They tell victim they can help and direct them to a website that then allows scammers to take remote control of the computer.
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Caller will then spend some time on computer trying to demonstrate where the "problems" are and in the process convince the victim to pay a fee for a service that'll fix the computer.
"Don't be fooled, Microsoft is not cold calling consumers in regards
to malfunctioning PCs, viruses or any other matter," Stuart
Strathdee, of Microsoft Australia said.