Online offers of free accommodation for bushfire victims could be scam, police warn
POLICE have warned people to be wary of a potential social media scam targeting bushfire victims with offers of free accommodation.
South East
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Police have warned people to be wary of a potential social media scam targeting bushfire victims with offers of free accommodation.
The apparent scam is making the rounds on ‘buy, swap and sell’ Facebook groups across the southeast.
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The poster of the ad, which offers free accommodation to bushfire victims for as long as they want, purports to be a refugee father living with two young children in Narre Warren South.
It is posted on at least five different Facebook groups which cover south eastern suburbs including Berwick, Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Pakenham and Dandenong South.
The wording of the post is identical except the poster is different and the suburb has changed.
Casey Crime Investigation Unit detective Sergeant Andrew Payne said police had not received any reports of the potential scam but warned the public to be wary.
“If you’re affected by the fire and need help don’t seek it online always go through reputable agencies,” he said.
“The public should report anything they think may be a scam to Scamwatch.”
Dandenong detective Sergeant Craig West said the post was “very strange”.
“While we can’t say whether it is dodgy or not, it certainly appears to be and I wouldn’t be recommending anyone take up the offer,” he said.
To report scams:www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
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