NSW Fraud and Cybercrime Squad detectives are warning the community about emails circulating locally supposedly from a financial institution.
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The emails claim to have a message for the recipient, which is accessible by a link in the email. The link contains malware and is designed to access personal information.
Fraud and Cybercrime Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, urged the community to be wary of unsolicited emails and check the sender’s email address closely.
“Anyone who may have received this or a similar email is advised not to click on the link, instead delete the email immediately,” he said.
“Always check the legitimacy of an email and if you want to make further inquiries, go directly to the relevant website and seek legitimate information rather than following links provided in an email.
“These scammers will continue to come up with innovative ways to scam innocent victims; however, our messages continue to remain – if in doubt, delete and report it to police.”
A statement from the Commonwealth Bank said they do not send emails requesting customers to confirm, update or disclose their confidential banking information.
“There are a number of fraudulent emails currently in circulation claiming to be from the Commonwealth Bank, although these emails may appear genuine, they are fraudulent and should be deleted immediately,” the statement said.
Detective Superintendent Katsogiannis said if you think you have been scammed, contact the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN).
“We are asking the community to be wary if you receive an email, text, or phone call claiming to be from a bank, telecommunications provider or other business you regularly deal with, asking you to update or verify your details,” he said.
“Look out for typing errors and grammatical mistakes and be wary if the email or text message does not address you by your proper name.
“Do not open an email where the website address does not look like the address you usually use and is requesting details the legitimate site does not normally ask for.”
Mr Katsogiannis said there are ways people can protect themselves.
“Do an internet search using the names or exact wording of the email or message to check for any references to a scam – many scams can be identified this way,” he said. “If you have been the victim of a scam, you can also report it to your local police.
To find out more information about scams visit: www.scamwatch.gov.au