Find out about the 10 most common types of scam in the Northern Territory.
1. Advancefee fraud
A scammer requests fees upfront or personal information in return for goods,services, money or rewards that they never supply.
Scammers inventconvincing and seemingly genuine reasons for requesting payment, such as tocover fees or taxes.
They often ask for payment by international wire transfer.
These scams arecommonly mass-marketed with scammers sending them out to thousands of peopleall over the world at the same time, usually by mail or email.
2. Lottery,sweepstakes and competition scams
An email, letter or textmessage from an overseas lottery or sweepstakes company arrives from out ofnowhere.
It says you havewon a lot of money or fantastic prizes in a lottery or sweepstakescompetition you did not enter.
These scams try to trick you intogiving money upfront or your personal details in order to receive the prize.
Scammers typically claimthat you need to pay fees or taxes before your winnings or prize can bereleased.
You may also have to call or text a premium rate phone number to claimyour prize.
Remember you cannot win aprize if you haven’t entered.
3. Datingand romance scams
Scammers create fake profiles on legitimate dating websites.
They use these profiles to try to enter into a relationship with you so theycan get a hold of your money and personal details.
The scammer will develop astrong rapport with you then ask for money to help cover costs associated with illness,injury, travel or a family crisis.
Scammers seek to exploit youremotions by pulling on your heart strings. Sometimes the scammers will take months and months to build up therapport.
4. Computerhacking
Phishing emails are commonlyused by scammers to trick you into giving them access to your computer.
They‘fish’ for your personal details by encouraging you to click on a link orattachment.
If you click, malicious software will be installed and the hackerwill have access to files and information stored on your computer.
A phishing email oftenappears to come from an organisation that you know and trust, like a bank or financialinstitution, asking you to enter your account password on a fake copy of the site’s login page.
If you provide your account details, the scammer can hack into your account and take control of your profile.
5. Onlineshopping, classified and auction scams
Scammers like shoppingonline for victims. Not getting what you paid for is a common scam targetingonline shoppers.
A scammer will sell a product and send a faulty or inferior qualityitem, or nothing at all. They may also pretend to sell a product just to gatheryour credit card or bank account details.
These scams can also be found on reputableonline classified pages.
An online auction scaminvolves a scammer claiming that you have a second chance to buy an item thatyou placed a bid on because the winner has pulled out.
The scammer will ask youto pay outside of the auction site’s secure payment facility.
If you do, your money willbe lost and the auction site will not be able to help you.
6. Banking,credit card and online account scams
Scammers send emails or text messages that appear to be from your bank, a financial institution or an onlinepayment service.
They usually claim that there is a problem with your accountand request that you verify your details on a fake but convincing copy of the bank’swebsite.
Card skimming is the copyingof information from the magnetic strip of a credit card or automatic tellermachine (ATM) card.
Scammers skim your card by putting a discreet attachment onan ATM or EFTPOS machine. They may even install a camera to capture your pin.
Once your card is skimmed, scammers can create copies and make charges to youraccount.
7. Smallbusiness scams
If you own a small businessyou can be targeted by scams such as the issuing of fake bills for unwanted orunauthorised listings, advertisem*nts, products or services.
A well-known example is whereyou receive a bill for a listing in a supposedly well-known business directory.
Scammers trick you to signup by disguising the offer as an outstanding invoice or a free entry, but witha hidden subscription agreement in the fine print.
Scammers can also call yourbusiness pretending that a service or product has already been ordered andask for payment over the phone.
8. Joband employment scams
These scams involve offersto work from home or set up and invest in a business opportunity. Scammerspromise a job, high salary or large investment return following initial upfrontpayments.
These payments may be for abusiness plan, training course, software, uniforms, security clearance, taxesor fees.
These scams are often promoted through spam email or advertisem*nts inwell-known classifieds, including websites.
9. Goldenopportunity and gambling scams
Scams often begin with anunexpected phone call or email from a scammer offering a not-to-be-missed highreturn or guaranteed investment in shares, real estate, options or foreign currencytrading.
While it may seem convincing, in reality the scammer will take yourmoney and you will never receive the promised returns.
Another scam promises toaccurately predict the results of horse races, sports events, stock marketmovements or lotteries.
Scammers promise you huge returns based on past resultsand trends. In order to participate, you may be asked to pay for membership fees,special calculators, newsletter subscriptions or computer software programs.
10. Charity and medical scams
Scammers are unscrupulousand take advantage of people who want to donate to a good cause or find ananswer to a health problem.
Charity scams involve scammers collecting money bypretending to work for a legitimate cause or charity, or a fictitious one theyhave created.
Often scammers will exploita recent natural disaster or crisis that has been in the news.
They may alsoplay on your emotions by claiming to collect for a cause that will secure yoursympathy, for example to help sick children.
Medical scams offer a range ofproducts and services that can appear to be legitimate alternative medicines,usually promising quick and effective remedies for serious medical conditions.
The treatments are often promoted using false testimonies from people who havebeen cured.
