Last Wednesday we received a professional presentation on how to AVOID crime, by three representatives of Crime Stoppers: Keith Knight, Tracey Chase and Julie Echin. I assume you already know what Crime Stoppers is all about (if you don’t: click here). In short: if you suspect a crime has been, or is about to be committed, or you have information which may lead to a prosecution, you can call 1800 333 000 anonymously. No names, no phone numbers, no personal details of any sort are collected. You are assigned an identity code, which you may refer to if, at a future date, you may be able to collect a reward. Yes, also anonymously! And, contrary to popular belief: Crime Stoppers is a charity, NOT a government agency! [There. You learned something new today! Yes, I shook my head too. Ed.]The recent major hacks at Medibank and Optus have resulted in the theft of personal details, including mobile phone numbers, of millions of individuals (Medibank’s database alone contained almost 10 Million records). So, these days it’s not unusual to receive a text from - purportedly - a courier firm, the ATO, or from Linkt (pay your road toll or we’ll sue you). It’s not limited to text scams, it can be advertisements that often are “too good to be true”. The message always prompts you to tap a link… Click on this link, and in a second a "worm" is downloaded to your phone, which enables the crims to take control of your phone! In consequence, it's not just your bank account that is threatened, but your ID details can be used for identity theft, leading to fraudulently taking out loans, car leases, just to name a few.
But what if you tap that link and only just realise a few seconds later what you’ve done? Switch your phone off instantly! SWITCH OFF, DO NOT USE the phone. Then advise your bank, credit card company and seek professional advice.
You also should check out the Federal Government’s National Anti Scam Centre website, which outlines the various traps and procedures in fair detail.