Do you know how valuable your personal information is? Once lost, it can take years to recover your identity.
With more people working and socialising online during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Scamwatch has received a 55 per cent spike in reports of stolen personal information, contributing to financial losses of $91 million so far this year.
As part of Scams Awareness Week 2020, here are some top tips released by Scamwatch to protect yourself from unscrupulous fraudsters:
- if you receive a phone call from someone you suspect is a scammer, hang up, find the organisation's number yourself and call them back. Never use a number they give you.
- don't trust a site or an ad just because it’s advertised on social media or classified website, or claims it’s endorsed by a celebrity. Check independent reviews and be wary of offers too good to be true.
- watch out for tell-tale signs of a scam in unsolicited emails and messages, like not using your correct name, typos and grammatical errors, or suspicious web addresses
- don't click on links in unexpected emails or messages, even if it appears to have come from a legitimate source
- don't give financial or account details, or copies of your identity documents to someone online who you’ve never met in person
- never give strangers remote access to your computer
- use strong passwords for your accounts and internet network, and never share them with others
- check your credit report for free using a reputable credit reference bureau at least once every year – this can help you catch any unauthorised activity
- install anti-virus software on your devices and keep it up to date.
For more information and entertainment from a podcast series produced by Scamwatch on how to protect your identity, visit this page.
