‘Lost phone’ scam fleecing Tasmanians of more than $50k
A new phone scam is fleecing Tasmanians of tens of thousands of dollars. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR >>
Police & Courts
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Tasmanians are falling victim to a new “lost phone” scam and are losing tens of thousands of dollars, police warn.
At least ten Tasmanians since June have collectively lost more than $50,000 after scammers posed as their family members and asked for cash.
To swindle the money, a scammer will first hack into social media accounts, such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
They will then use these social media accounts to impersonate their victim’s family members, sending messages that they have lost, broken or had their phone stolen and urgently require funds to be transferred into a bank account.
This results in the scammer’s victim transferring funds into a bank account to assist their family member, only to find out later that it was not their family member contacting them.
Detective Sergeant Paul Turner said Tasmanians need to be wary if they receive a message via social media from people pretending to be family members needing money urgently.
“Since last month, at least 10 Tasmanians have reported to police that they’ve been scammed with losses of over $50,000,” he said.
“It’s timely to remind all Tasmanians to be wary for scams when online.
“If you are sending money to someone online check the legitimacy and that you know the person before you send any money.”
Tasmania Police are advising you:
■ Never provide your identity over the phone without first confirming who you are speaking with via legitimate source.
■ Never send money, digital currency or gift cards to someone you do not know without first confirming they are legitimate via an independent source.
■ Ensure you have set adequate security settings on your social media and email accounts.
Scams cheat Tasmanians out of millions of dollars each year, according to the state government.
Anyone who thinks they are the victim of a scam should report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
More information on general scams can be found at Scamwatch.
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