WE’RE only in August yet scammers have stolen more than $7.2M from Australians by gaining access to home computers, an increase of 184 per cent compared to the same period last year.
According to the ACCC’s Scamwatch, almost 6,500 Australians have reported phone calls from scammers trying to convince them to download software that gives access to home computers and their bank accounts.
Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations and they create a sense of urgency to make you give them access to your computer via remote access software.
“These types of scams target and impact all people and can be convincing. People aged 55 and older lost over $4.4M, accounting for almost half of total losses,” ACCC Deputy Chair, Delia Rickard, said.
“Young people reported losing on average $20,000 and eight Indigenous Australians lost a total of $38,000.”
Scams of this nature will often be an unexpected phone call saying you’ve been billed for a purchase you didn’t make, your device has been compromised, or your account has been hacked. Sometimes they start with an SMS, email or pop up on a screen from a scammer seeking urgent contact to fix a problem.
They will tell you to download remote control software such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Once the scammer has control of your computer or device, they will ask you to log into applications such as emails, internet banking or PayPal accounts, which will allow the scammer to access your banking and personal information to impersonate you or steal their money.
People who think they may have been scammed should contact their bank or financial institution as soon as possible. If they installed any apps or programs, they should also delete them from the device. Support in recovering from these scams including how to check if your identity and computer is secure is available through IDCARE on 1800 595 160 or www.idcare.org.
