In the wake of disasters, it is sadly common for scammers to emerge to take advantage of people during a time of uncertainty. Unfortunately, there are already reports of scam activity following the recent floods.
Here’s what you need to know to keep yourself and your community safe.
Be scam alert
Scammers may contact you in different ways including:
- In-person
- Phone calls
- Text messages
- Emails
- Social media
Scammers may pretend to be from different organisations, including:
- Fundraising for flood victims
- Fixing phone or internet connections
- Following up on insurance claims
- Offering financial assistance
- Providing government support or information
Scammers may ask you to provide:
- Money
- Gift cards
- Personal information
- Bank account details
- Credit card details
- PIN numbers
Scammers may also ask you to:
- Visit an ATM
- Open a website
- Click on a link
- Reply to a message
- Call a phone number
Be scam safe
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from scams and help others in your community:
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Be wary of all approaches you did not initiate, especially if you are asked to send money online.
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Confirm the identity of the contact by calling the organisation directly using an independently sourced phone number. Don’t feel pressured to respond if you’re not 100% sure.
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Do not disclose personal information in a phone call, share your computer screen, relay SMS or email access codes, or provide passwords to online banking or login details to MyGov.
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Trusted organisations will not ask for an upfront payment to process recovery payments. Requests from Services Australia and government departments can be verified with a call to special hotlines made available on their official websites containing “.gov.au” in the URL.
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Only donate to legitimate registered official charities. Verify the charity through the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commissions website.
If in doubt, hang up, close the door or walk away. You can report suspected scams to Scamwatch.
Customer Owned Banking Association (2022, March 10). Watch out, flood scammers are about COBA.
