SCAMWISE - Money Stuff
Transcription
SCAMWISE - Money Stuff
SCAMWISE LEARNHOWTO BESCAMWISE THISMONTH! With advice from the experts... NEWAND IMPROVED HOROSCOPES COLUMN $3.99 AUD READOURVICTIMS' CASESTUDIES FINDOUT HOWSCAMWISE YOUARE! SPOTTHE SCAMMER:NOW ONEVERYPAGE! SCAMWISE CONTENTS 3 W h at ar e Scam s? 4 Types of Scam s 6 Avoidin g Scam s 8 Case Stu dies of Scam Victim s 11 Qu ote 12 Ch il l Zon e & FAQ's 14 H or oscopes 16 Resou r ces 17 M eet th e M agazin e Cr eator s WHATARE SCAMS? Ever since the introduction of the internet, scams have been growing more and more prominent. The internet has allowed scammers to easily push out their tricks and cheats to a wide variety of people through many forms of media in attempt to steal money and other private information. A scam is a fraudulent scheme and falls under the umbrella term of frauds. Frauds have existed before the internet came into place and is generally labelled as ?deliberate deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain? and is against the law. Scams can come in various forms with scammers using different techniques to try and deceive people such as lottery and charity scams. Scammers are able to reach people via many different ways such as over the phone, as a letter or in emails so it is essential to know what a scam looks like to be able to protect yourself from one. Scamwise 3 Types OFSCAMS A scammer is a con artist who may be an individual or organisation preying on victims luring them into various traps and committing a fraud. These scams can be quite sophisticated in securing information, which then enables the fraudster to commit a crime. Or they can be quite simple preying on vulnerable and naïve individuals. ?Onething all scams havein common: they aretoo good to betrue!? The following examples are just some of the many types of scams that one may deal with. However be aware that scammers are looking at creative ways and new methods of fleecing you. Phishing Phishing is the illegal practice of sending emails, letters or links to reveal personal information such as credit card details, passwords, addresses and other personal information while imposing as a manager or someone high up from a reputable company such as a PayPal, Ebay or MSN . Usually one will receive an email from a bank, government department or an online payment service, asking them to update, validate or confirm their credit details. The scammer may even threaten you, that if you do not reply with the correct information, your account may be closer or the reverse; the scammer may offer a valuable reward. Mobil e phone Mobile Phone scams can be hard to recognize sometimes, as they are texts to enter a competition, download ?free? mobile phone extras, or redeem prizes. But in reality, they won?t be free and usually have additional costs or involve a premium rate service. Sometimes one may even receive a missed call from an unknown number. If you attempt to call back or reply to the message, the charges will not be clear and could be as high as $8 for each message you send and receive. Scamwise 4 Types of Scams CONTINUED Nigerian Scams Nigerian Scams are one of the most common scams in operation, offering a large sum for almost nothing. Relying on greed, the ?trickster? advises you that a significant sum of money is available and can only be released upon some form of payment. Over the internet or by mail, you will rarely make any type of physical contact with them. Usually the letter will go something like this: Dear Sir/Madam, My name is Mr. John Kingston, I am the head of the decent and deceased data program co-operating with a bank in Australia. I wish to inform you of a bank account opened in our bank since 2008 and according to our record, this account belongs to one of your distant relatives and includes an inheritance fee that was left for you. At the moment the accounts balance is $22.4 million dollars. All of that will be yours, if you agree to transfer $10,000 to help with handling the money. These types of letters come in many forms but in all cases the basic principle of ?a lot for a little? is on offer. Pyramid scheme In a pyramid scheme the scammer/ s make money by recruiting businesses or people rather than selling products or services. In the process participants are asked to make a ?participation payment? to join, they are also promised a sum of money for recruiting others. The barriers of these schemes break with new members losing lots of money. Lot t ery Scams For most people, winning millions of dollars in foreign lotteries is a dream that?s come alive, but if a scammer gets you caught in the web of a lottery scam it can become quite serious. In this scam, the victim receives a personally addressed letter that may have official logos and other credible looking features. The letter will usually offer an opportunity to win millions of dollars (depending on the scammers country, the money will not necessarily be in dollars) in a verified lottery draw. To collect their winnings, the victim must provide a sum of money to be deposited in to the scammers account to ensure the fund don?t go to anyone else. Following this letter will be another, demanding more money for other expenses. Some lottery scams ask for a copy of the victim?s driver?s license and passport to establish their identity. Scamwise 5 Types of Scams CONTINUED Door-t o-Door Scams Door-to-Door Scams generally involve elements of unconscionable conduct, ripping off the individual through not explaining to the legal rights, e.g. 10 day cooling off period. Usually the scammer will often offer roof repair, telephone services, vacuums or other home goods. They will ask for full payment in cash by a credit card, as checks can be cancelled. Job and empl oyment Scams Job and employment scams sound terrific but as always they are too good to be true. Earn $1000 per hour from home, regular income guaranteed, Get rich quick with very little effort; advertisements as such are usually featured on TV and Movie watching sites such as Watch Series or Putlocker. They can also be sent by mail, email, found in newspapers or even community notice boards. The offers mentioned previously promise money that comes almost instantly, but doing simple easy jobs such as watch videos or stuffing envelopes. Scammers will ask for a deposit before the work can commence and one the money is transferred, they will ask you to lure other victims into the trap, very similar to pyramid schemes. Don?t be fooled, you could be a victim. Fraudsters only exist because of the vulnerability and gullibility of individuals. Don't becometheir prey! Scamwise 6 A V OI D I N G SCA M S A scam is a hoax, used to trick you into believing the scammer, and therefore giving your money or personal details to them. Scams can appear to be very genuine and real, because they appeal to you and your needs, wants and inner desires. This makes scams very hard to avoid, and easy to fall for. Scams can come to you in any form or way. A few of these ways are online, telephone, door-knocking, seminars, and mail. Literally anyone can become the target of a scam, and most people have come across scams being targeted at them, at some point in their lives. However, the most successful scams are usually targeted at the most vulnerable, such as the gullible, young and innocent. Some scammers will contact you at the most inconvenient of times. Many scammers may door-knock on weekends and call you early in the morning or late at night, because you are most likely to be home or available, and you may not be able to focus enough on what is front of you and what the scammer is saying. There are many types of scams: computer viruses, online gambling, dating scams, health and medical scams, unwanted and irrelevant services, banking and credit card scams, government and bank refunds, pyramid schemes, Nigerian scams, weight loss scams, debt relief scams, work-at-home scams, lotteries and competitions, and golden investment ?opportunities?. - Never respond to sudden and random emails. They may be offering you a product, service, or an opportunity to gain wealth. They are most likely unrealistic and false. - It is extremely hard to tell whether this email (on the right) is really from ANZ or not, but if you really think about it, it is safer not to click on that link, and if you really doubt that the email may be genuine, go to an ANZ branch and ask them about the email you have received. If ANZ really needed you to verify your email address, they wouldn?t ask you in such a dodgy and unreliable way. Even though this email may seem very hard to not believe, it is always better to stay on the safe side. - If you receive random emails from one of your contacts with almost close to nothing as a message, with a big, bold, bright and colourful hyperlink, never click on it. Once you do, the same email gets sent automatically to everyone in your contacts, and that is why you have received it from someone you know. - When downloading things from the internet, try to use websites with URLs that start with ?https:?. The ?s? stands for ?secure?. By ensuring this, you can be sure you won?t get any viruses or scams on your device. Never send any money to someone you don?t know. Or, if you know them, and they ask you online, try and find another safer and reliable way to communicate and transfer money. - Don?t believe any testimonials sent from the scammer. It has been sent to you, to be used as a distractor from the real purpose of the scammer?s trick, and lure you into the scammer?s trap. - Don?t give out any of your personal details to random people, and avoid sending personal details to anyone, even if you know them, online. - Never text or call a 0055 or 1900 number, because they incur extremely high charges, and some may even subscribe your number so that a certain amount of phone credit is taken out each time you recharge your phone credit. Scamwise 7 SCH EM ES - SCA M M EM ES Scamwise 8 CASE STUDIES OFSCAM VICTIMS Scamwise 9 Adva nce fee sca m s Door -t o-door sca m s Erin Pavlina is a psychological guidance counselor who wrote an article in the hopes of preventing people from being ripped off by a common psychic scam. One technique that she described was going to a cheap psychic, the kind that charges around $5 or $10. ?You listen as the psychic tells you astoundingly accurate things about yourself. But at the end of the reading, this con artist tells you that there is a dark energy around you, that you are cursed, or that something terrible is about to befall you, but for $200 they can remove this dark energy/ curse and heal you. Frightened, you give up the money, the ?psychic? performs a flashy ritual (chanting, candles, arm waving, etc.) and tells you that you?re cured. Or she might tell you to check in with her in a week to see if the energy is clear. If you actually do go back to her, at the next meeting you?ll be told the negative energy is much stronger than she thought and it?s going to cost $3,000 to clear it. It?s at this point that I hope you have a moment of clarity and call the police on her, but sadly some people do fall for this scam.? In an ABC 7 news report, Lewis County authorities were interviewed about cases regarding door to door scams. The following is a segment of the report: Buyi ng ca r s *MADE UP SCENARIO* Jane was looking to buy a second hand car online. She did not have enough money for a brand new car, but had saved up for a car with a decent amount of mileage. When she went to the car yard, she found a car for $3 000 with a high amount of mileage. She took it for a test drive and everything was great, but once she paid for the car and drove around the block, it broke down. Jane was scammed. The car dealers wound back the mileage on the car so that it would appear to last a long time, while in reality it didn?t even last a day ?Lewis County authorities have received many reports of a scam involving people offering home improvement projects door to door. In one scenario the scam artists offer to complete a home improvement project at a reasonable price, only to raise the price much higher after the work is finished. If the homeowner refuses to pay the more expensive rate the scammers use high pressure tactics to try to get payment. In a second scenario the scam artists complete an improvement project for the homeowner, but do very low quality work. If the homeowner refuses to pay because of the shoddy workmanship the scammers again use high pressure techniques. Both of these scams often target the elderly? I nt er net .offer s In one scam, a website called Fortuna Alliance was marketed through a professional-looking home page on theinternet. ??What if you paid $250 a month which produced a minimum of $5,250 income each month for you, while you simply watched? Would you want to continue this arrangement while you kept earning $5,000 a month??Fortuna?s advertising asked. Within a surprisingly short period over 17,000 individuals paid between $250 and $1,750 to join what turned out to be a worldwide web of deceit. All they received in return was advice and promotional material on how to set up their own web sites to recruit victims to the pyramid scheme.? . Scamwise 10 M a i l or der sca m s Job a nd em ploym ent sca m s Fair Trading wrote an article about mail order scams, and provided a case in the website. A section of the article is below? ?Each year Fair Trading receives many complaints about mail orders. Most have a familiar ring. The goods don't measure up to the glossy advertisement. Refunds take forever. There can be long delays in deliveries. Or after posting off your cash, you may never hear from the mail order outlet again. In 2011, Mining Australia wrote an article about scammers who gave out fake employment contracts to civilians at an attempt to obtain personal information from the victims, including bank account details, addresses, phone numbers etc. Below is a segment of the article: ?BHP says it has never had a commercial relationship with the scammers, and is concerned they may have given out ?phoney employment contracts.? The mining giant believes the scam was an attempt to obtain personal information from victims looking for jobs in the midst of Australia?s skills shortage.? While outright fraud is the exception, mail order shopping lends itself to deception. An example was a scam carried off by an outfit calling itself R E Jones and Associates. It offered cheap sportswear for sale and its professional-looking catalogue targeted proprietors of squash courts and other sporting venues. Customers were invited to send their cheques to a Sydney suburban post office box. It wasn?t long before Fair Trading began receiving a flood of complaints about non-delivery. But by the time Fair Trading became involved the trail had gone cold. The perpetrators had pocketed the cash and vanished.? M i slea di ng a dver t i si ng Business Insider Australia created an article about examples of false advertisements that led to brands being sued millions. Below is an extract of the false advertising of the nutrients contained in Activia yoghurt: ? Dannon's popular Activia brand yogurt lured consumers into paying more for its purported nutritional benefits -- when it was actually pretty much the same as every other kind of yogurt. Lot t er y sca m s In March this year, three siblings were arrested for forging and stealing a lottery ticket to claim a prize of $2 million. INDYSTAR covered this story, and a segment of this article is below: ?Three people redeemed a fraudulent Hoosier Lottery ticket worth $2 million, buying a home and several vehicles with the money before police caught on to the scam, court documents allege. Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry announced in a news conference Thursday that two men and a woman ? all relatives ? are facing 15 criminal counts in connection with a lottery fraud scheme that raked in more than $1.1 million.? Falsely touting the 'clinically' and 'scientifically' proven nutritional benefits of the product, Dannon even got a famous spokesperson, Jamie Lee Curtis, for the supposed digestion-regulator. But after a while, some customers didn't buy it. A class action settlement last year forced Dannon to pay up to $45 million in damages to the consumers that filed the lawsuit and others who said they'd been bamboozled. The company also had to limit its health claims on its products strictly to factual ones.? Scamwise 11 "CURIOSITYPULLS PEOPLEINTOTHE SCAM" - FRANKSTALLONE CHILLZONE WORD SEARCH CROSSWORD Scamwise 13 FAQ'S W hat is a scam ? A scam is a scheme where scammers try and steal your money and personal information without you knowing. W hat types of scam s ar e ther e? There are many different types of scams that can be used, including lottery, charity and bank scams. More scams can be viewed on ACCC?s SCAMwatch website. H ow do I tell if som eone is scam m ing m e? If the offer that is presented seems too good to be true ? it probably is. Check who you received the ?offer? from and if it?s not identifiable, it is probably from a scammer. Scammers may also call and claim they are a banking company and will ask for personal details such as a credit card information and such. Any personal information should never be given out unless you know it is a trusted source. W hat do I do if I am scam m ed? This depends on how you are scammed ? Access to online accounts / credit card details: Call your bank or credit union and ask them to suspend your accounts and credit cards ? this can limit the amount of money you are liable for Money sent to a scammer: Contact your bank or credit union and ask them to cancel any money transfers or cheques Via a computer: Run a full system check using a reliable virus checker to ensure all malicious software is removed and change any passwords W her e can I r epor t scam m er s? You can report scammers to SCAMwatch via one of their online forms which is important to the ACCC as this information assists them in monitoring scam trends and taking action where appropriate, including to educate the public on new or emerging scams. Scamwise 14 FAQ'S (CONT.) W hat happens to scam m er s? The Australian Consumer Law is able to protect consumers from scams and if scammers are caught, several course of action can be taken, including: -impose monetary penalties -grant injunctions to prevent the prohibited conduct continuing or being repeated or to require that some action be taken -award damages -make other orders of various kinds in favour of persons who have suffered loss or damage because of the conduct (eg. cancellation and variation of contracts, damages, provision of repairs and spare parts, probation orders, community service orders and corrective advertising orders). H ow does a scam m er scam ? A scammer can reach us in many different ways such as through emails, phone calls and even in person. There are many different ways someone can be scammed and a full list can be seen on the SCAMwatch website. H ow do I pr otect m yself fr om being scam m ed? Ensure you are knowledgeable about scams and that you know how to identify one. Never reveal any personal information to sources that you don?t know or trust and always run background checks to see who these sources are and whether they?re reliable or not. W h er e can I l ear n m or e abou t scam s? The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's (ACCC) SCAMwatch website and ASIC's MoneySmart website contain detailed information on scams and how to avoid and report them. W ill I able to r ecover the m oney / infor m ation I have lost? Scammers are extremely difficult to track down as many operate anonymously so it is highly unlikely that you will be able to retrieve any stolen money or information, especially if money has already been transferred to different accounts. Scamwise 15 July/August HOROSCOPES Leo V i rgo Li bra Jul y 23- August 21 August 23- Sept ember 22 Sept ember 23- Oct ober 22 Renown for displaying wisdom. This is your month to shine, so watch out for some sneaky scammers who will try to steal your spotlight. You may think you know it all, but someone may outsmart you. Virgos have keen minds, and are delightful to chat with, which makes you an easy target and quite susceptible to scammers. BEWARE that not everyone is a friend. Libra people who seek balance in their lives and are quite good at reading people can still fall into traps. You will be in a position of providing wise financial advice for a friend caught in the trap of a scam. Scorpi o Sagi ttari us Capri corn Oct ober 22- November 21 November 22- December 21 December 22- January 19 Some obstacles are heading your way, so remember to assess them before jumping in. People may trick you, so always speak up to prove that you are right, never let anyone tell you to stop saying what you believe in. As always you do your research but don?t be caught up by looks or let your soft spot get in the way. Your freedom is to your advantage, so when you get caught in the trap, persevere and you will find a way out. Your excellent problem solving skills make you the detective that always saves the day. Scammers find it hard to get you off track because your life is already planned out. Schedule after schedule after schedule. Scamwise 16 July/August HOROSCOPES A q uari us Pi sces A ri es January 20- February 18 February 19- March 20 March 21- April 19 Your intelligence and social skills may help you make friends, but mix that with your gullibility and any scammer can fool you. So try to hold back giving away your trust to every stranger you meet. Try to break out of your shell and get out of the shadows. Show off your knowledge that makes you an old soul, as you may even outsmart the scammer. Be patient and try not to take the easy way out, but challenge yourself for the long run. Your strong will and devotion to caring for others makes you an easy target for scammers, especially with the risks you take. Taurus Gemi ni Cancer April 20- May 20 Taurians who can be stubborn and possessively materialistic find it hard to believe that scammers exist. Your generosity and loyalty makes you hard to believe that people exist who might rip you off. Be on guard this month! May 21- June 20 Jul y 21- Jul y 22 Try not to get too caught up in the social calendar, as your two faces could become bad. Your wit and boredom distract you, which create bad paths and choices for you to take. Set a goal this month and focus on whats important. You seek the feeling to be secure and comfortable, but whenever you find something your foundations crumbled down. Don?t let your humbleness and appreciation make you an easy target. Scamwise 17 RESOURCES All visual images are from www.pixabay.com/ and www.freedigitalphotos.net which are all royalty free. Erin Pavlina. 2010. Avoid This Common Psychic Scam. (online). Available: http:/ / www.erinpavlina.com/ blog/ 2010/ 01/ avoid-this- (author unknown). (year unknown). FreeDigit al Phot os.net . (online). Available: http:/ / www.freedigitalphotos.net/ . 30/ 07/ 15. common-psychic-scam/ . 22/ 07/ 15. - - (author unknown). (year unknown). Avoiding Scams - NSW Fair Trading. (online). Available: http:/ / www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ ftw/ Consumers/ Scams/ Avoiding_scams.page. 30/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Psychic & Cl airvoyant Scams. (online). Available: http:/ / www.scamwatch.gov.au/ content/ index.phtml/ tag/ PsychicClairvoyantScams. 22/ 07/ 15. - (author unknown). (year unknown). Avoiding Scams - MoneySmart . (online) Available: https:/ / www.moneysmart.gov.au/ scams/ avoiding-scams. 01/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Request s f or Money - Advanced Fee Funds. (online). Available: http:/ / www.police.wa.gov.au/ Crimetypes/ Fraud/ - Scams/ Requestsformoney/ tabid/ 1965/ Default.aspx. 24/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Avoid Scams - OnGuard Onl ine. (online). Available: https:/ / www.onguardonline.gov/ topics/ avoid-scams. 03/ 07/ 15. - - (author unknown). (year unknown). Depart ment of Commerce - Advanced Fee Frauds. (online). Available: http:/ / www.scamnet.wa.gov.au/ scamnet/ Types_ (author unknown). (year unknown). How To Compl ain - ASIC. (online). http:/ / www.asic.gov.au/ about-asic/ contact-us/ how-to-complain/ . 05/ 07/ 15. - Of_Scams-Advanced_fee_frauds.htm. 25/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Depart ment of Commerce - Lady Of f icer Gwen Robert s Int ernat ional Facebook Lot t ery Scam. (online). Available: http:/ / www.scamnet.wa.gov.au/ scamnet/ Types_Of_ Scams-Advanced_fee_frauds-Gwen_Roberts_ facebook_lottery_scam.htm. 25/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Types of Scams - NSW Fair Trading. (online). Available: http:/ / www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ ftw/ Consumers/ Scams/ Types_of_scams.page. 05/ 07/ 15. Muireann. (year unknown). Engl ish Vocabul ary: The Subt l e Dif f erence Bet ween Fraud and Scam. (online). Available: http:/ / www.skypeenglishclasses.com/ english-vocabularythe-subtle-difference-between-fraud-and-scam/ . 05/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Int ernet Of f ers - NSW Fair Trading. (online). Available: http:/ / www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ ftw/ Consumers/ (author unknown). 2015. Int ernet Fraud - Wikipedia. (online). Available: https:/ / en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Internet_fraud. 06/ 07/ 15. Scams/ Types_of_scams/ Internet_offers.page. 26/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Advance Fee Scams - NSW Fair Trading. (online). Available: http:/ / www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ ftw/ Samantha. 2007. A Basic Guide t o Scams. (online). Available: https:/ / www.scamwarners.com/ forum/ viewtopic.php?f= 3&t=5&sid=4acadcf081acb0bddbf85aa0d7655109. 06/ 07/ 15. Consumers/ Scams/ Types_of_scams/ Advance_fee_scams.page. 27/ 07/ 15 - - (author unknown). (year unknown). Report a Scam. (online). Available: https:/ / www.scamwatch.gov.au/ content / index.phtml/ itemId/ 694011. 08/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). ?Nigerian 419?Scams. (online). Available: http:/ / www.scamwatch.gov.au/ content/ index.phtml/ tag/ Nigerian419Scams. 29/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Types of Scams - ACCC. (online). Available: https:/ / www.accc.gov.au/ consumers/ consumerprotection/ protecting-yourself-from- (author unknown). (year unknown). Scams - MoneySmart . (online). Available: https:/ / www.moneysmart.gov.au/ scams. 08/ 07/ 15. - scams/ types-of-scams. 30/ 07/ 15. (author unknown). (year unknown). Free Anime Avat ar Maker. (online). Available: http:/ / avachara.com/ avatar/ . 10/ 07/ 15. - - MEET THE CREATORS JESSICAWANG Howdy, I'm Jess and I really like learning about commerce and would love to teach others on how to stay scam safe. This magazine is designed to help people identify and prevent themselves from being scammed. I worked on the introduction, the FAQ as well as the design of the magazine, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I hope you've enjoyed reading it! :^) MADELEINEMACRAE Holla! I'm Maddy and this is our $CAMWISE magazine. I am really passionate about commerce and would love to educate society on how to stay scam safe. This magazine is designed to help people identify and prevent themselves from being scammed. To contribute to this site I found case studies relating to different types of scams and created the Chill Zone. Hope you had a great time B^). Scamwise 19 MEET THE CREATORS MILLIEWANG Hi :) I'm Millie and I am passionate about educating consumers on how to avoid scams when people target you . I love learning new things, and I hope to share the love of learning about scams with you. My magazine crew and I thought that we should step out of our comfort zones and create a challenging, yet unique learning resource. Our $camwise magazine was fun although it put our creativity to the test. I gladly contributed to the 'Avoiding Scams' page, 'Schemes' page and the design of the magazine. I hope you have really enjoyed reading our magazine and you have gained something from it. SABRINANICHOLAS Hey! I'm Sabrina. Hopefully you enjoyed yourself, as you made it to the end. We do all the research and you reap the rewards. If you thought reading the financial pages was difficult, why not try our astrology forecast. Your hard earned pocket money won't be misspent if you follow our helpful tips on how to be Scamwise. As a regular contributor to financial magazines and journals, I hope you found my articles, 'Types of scams' and 'Horoscopes', both interesting and entertaining. Until next issue... Enjoy!