This is when someone creates a bogus profile, usually with stolen photos and false information, in order to dupe people into sending them money or personal information.įake profiles are frequently used to entice people to send money for “travel expenses” or to purchase gifts, but they can also be used to collect personal information such as addresses and phone numbers. One of the most common types of scams is the fake profile scam.
4: The Friend Request from a Stranger Scam.“Unfortunately, these unscrupulous scammers are targeting women and older Australians, with 82 per cent of family impersonation scams reported by people over the age of 55, accounting for 95 per cent of all reported losses,” Rickard said. Over two-thirds of family impersonation scams have been reported by women over 55 years of age, accounting for more than $1.4 million in losses. It’s important to stop and think if you get a message, especially on WhatsApp, because chances are it’s not your family member or friend – it’s a scammer.” “Scammers will stop at nothing to get your personal details or money and this particular scam is designed to pull your heartstrings. “We have seen an explosion in the number of ‘Hi Mum’ scams in the past couple of months, and so we are warning Australians to be very wary of messages from unknown numbers claiming to be from their children, parents, relatives or friends,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said. The sophistication of the scam varies: some messages simply say ‘it’s me’, while others appear to know contact information and the name of the person they are impersonating. “Once they have developed a rapport with their target, the scammer will ask for personal information such as photos for their social media profile or money to help urgently pay a bill, contractor or replace the phone,” Scamwatch warns. The ‘Hi, Mum’ scam sees victims contacted via WhatsApp by a scammer posing as a family member or a friend, claiming they have lost or broken their phone and are messaging from a new number.
Over a thousand Australians have fallen victim this year to a new texting scam, with reported losses of $2.6 million over the last seven months.
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