A recent cyber scam has cost an Adelaide Hills woman $5000, prompting police to renew their calls to the public to remain vigilant.
It’s alleged a scammer contacted the woman as a fake employee of a phone company, who claimed that her internet had been compromised.
The scammer demanded the woman download an app to make a $5000 payment to “secure her network”, which also included her providing her Medicare details and drivers licence.
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SA Police in response have offered the following advice, with cyber scams continuing to rise in prevalence:
- Hang up and contact the organisation on a known, reputable number. Do NOT trust contact details given to you by the caller.
- Be aware of requests for unusual payment methods. Once you have placed money into a crypto ATM it will never be seen again.
- Remember that you can still receive scam calls from a private number. If in doubt, hang up and ring the organisation back on a known reputable number.
- Never download programs or applications at the request of someone over the phone.
- Do not be intimidated by technical language or pushy behaviour.
- Make sure your computer is protected and regularly updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Conduct your own research first and only purchase software from a source that you know and trust.
- Never give remote access to your device or computer, no matter how legitimate they appear!
You can find more tips, or report a scam, at Scamwatch.
