“conspiracy”
a secret plan by a person/group to do something unlawful or harmful.
Similar:
plot, scheme, plan, deception, ploy, trick, racket, SCAM
B E A W A R E
We are publishing this page to make people aware of “The Cons” – “SCAMS” that are doing the rounds in WA. Local. national, global global issues that are catching innocent, trustworthy people every day.
DOUBLE CHECK EVERYONE & EVERYTHING
AIM ~ “NOT to be stolen from or SCAMMED”
EXAMPLE SUBJECTS
Privacy
Data Theft
ID Theft
Phones
Text Messages
Internet
Emails
Investments
Bank Cards
Single Sites
Catfish
Plagiarism
Copyright
Intellectual Property
COVID Scams
$70,000 in losses reported from victims of COVID-19-related scams
WA ScamNet has received reports from seven victims of scams where COVID-19 was used in the plot to steal a total of about $68,000
Phone call Email
$4.5 million heartbreaking fraud losses
Breaking hearts and bank balances – organised criminals have defrauded West Australians out of at least $4.5million after starting relationships with victims online, according to figures compiled over the six months since August 2012.
Common Scams & Crimes
The following are some of the most common scams and crimes that the FBI encounters, as well as tips to help prevent you from being victimized. Visit the Bureau’s White-Collar Crime and Cyber Crime webpages for information on more fraud schemes.
‘Help me!’ scams
Most of us when asked for urgent assistance by a friend or family member would say yes and that’s the answer scammers are banking on when they target people in ‘help me’ scams.
AAG Winnings Administration Association
Wow, it looks like you have hit the jackpot and have won one of the three prizes: Wrong! The “Super Prize” is actually a discount voucher worth $23 to purchase the “Miraculous Bark from the Tree of Makoo”.
ACP
ACP claims it has great news for you. Unfortunately, the only “great” news is that you are on a scammer’s mailing list.
AFP computer seizure scam
Your computer suddenly stops working and your screen is filled with a warning supposedly from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). It says you have been targeted because you have allegedly broken copyright laws during downloading, been viewing inappropriate content or accessed data illegally.
AGL – Energy company email scam
WA consumers are receiving scam emails claiming to be from AGL, an energy company not currently registered to supply or sell electricity and gas in Western Australia.
ANZ refunds phone scam
ANZ is to refund $5 million to about 25,000 basic account holders for incorrect charges.
WA ScamNet has had a report of a phone scam where the caller claims to be from the Australian Government offering an ANZ refund.
ATO Scams
Scammers are using the ATO name to fleece thousands of dollars from victims.
ATO phishing emails
WA ScamNet regularly receives reports about scam emails that claim to be from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
Usually the email’s offering a tax refund or it might be asking you to update your details by clicking a link – never do this as this is how the scammers will get your details.
AUSPOST fake notification
There is a new malware (malicious software) scam going around which will arrive via your inbox as a fake AUSPOST email. The email entices users to click on the links to “print your shipping label for tracking”. Doing this will download ransomware onto your computer.
Absolute Finance Pty Ltd
We recently received a report about the loss of €300 Euro from the victim of a fake binary options trading scam – Absolute Finance Pty Ltd.
Act of God Awards
God help us from scam letters like this:
Adam and Evelyn
Listen to Adam’s story about how he met (as was conned) by Evelyn.
Adams Green
Earn $3500 to $4000 a month by transferring money for this New York based “online-to-offline money transfer service”. WA ScamNet warns that the only thing you are likely to be promoted to is a “jail inmate”.
Advanced Financial Services
Saddle-up for another “Canadian prize award cowboy” letter.
African Development Bank
This looks like another advance fee fraud email where scammers will ask you for money throughout the process for taxes or processing fees. We have seen it all before and this one certainly raises several alarm bells.
Alinta fake bill
We have a reported loss of $1350 in a phone scam where the caller pretended to be from Alinta Energy and threatened to cut off the power over an unpaid bill.
Alleged fraud on wannabe fruit pickers
Consumer Protection is warning jobseekers to be wary of responding to adverts on classifieds websites, where the recruiter requires payment. It comes after a group of at least forty backpackers reported losing $120-$150 each and handing over secure personal details after responding to an online advert for fruit picking positions in WA’s South West.
Amanda Kane
A letter from someone claiming to be Amanda Kane, clairvoyant, says that she wants to help the recipient by making a generous offer. She claims she will send you a cheque for $39,000 plus the “Great Secret Wish Amplifier” called a “Divinor” and a magic necklace. All this for the “tiny sum” of $60. It does not take any magical powers to foresee you will not receive any money.
American Property Bureau
To participate, you need to follow a number of intricate steps. This still doesn’t mean you will win the prize though. In fact you actually only have a one in 125,000 chance of getting the money. So you are actually paying $33.49 to enter an overseas lottery!
Amy Palmer
Who is clairvoyant Amy Palmer? she a trademark of the marketing company, Promo Direct, who wants you to spend good money on useless numerological and other psychic paraphernalia.
Angela Almera
Clairvoyant Angela Almera, from the Netherlands, is retiring and wants you to be the very last person she is ever going to help to become a winner. But when we did a search for her name on the Internet, the first item was a warning from the New Zealand Ministry of Consumer Affairs about her.
Angele and Angelina
Angele and Angelina may call themselves the “two angels of light”. But WA ScamNet refers to them as the “evil duo of disappointment” because that’s all you will get if you respond to this letter.
Angelique de Succes
“You are one of the 12 people whose vibrations match the secret” so says clairvoyant Angelique de Succes in a personally addressed letter. Hang on Angelique, what about the hundreds of other Western Australians you have sent the same letter to? Are they also part of the chosen 12? Angelique can reveal to you the “most important secret in the world”. Why pay $65 to Angelique when WA ScamNet holds the key to this secret – it’s a SCAM.
Angelo Da Vinco
Clairvoyant Angelo Da Vinco wants to protect you from worldwide danger and disaster – at a price of $56. But Angelo da Vinco, who will protect us from scamming fake psychics like you? This appalling letter is trying to scare you into handing over your money.
Anna Pfeiffer
Anna Pfeiffer claims she is known as “Madame Luck” because of her uncanny ability to predict lucky lottery numbers. Anna has received some press coverage in England – but all for the wrong reasons. The press coverage relates to warnings issued by UK authorities about Anna being a psychic scam.
Antonio Divito
Antonio Divito claims the Divito Institute is the only institution authorised to distribute the famous “worry dolls” (magical dolls of happiness) of Guatemala for the princely sum of $46. Antonio Divito must be living in dream world because we found lots of websites selling the dolls for as little as $2 a set of six – including sites whose products are sourced from members of the Fair Trade Federation.
Apple Sales Group
Email scammers calling themselves, Apple Sales Group, are promising people they can earn a quick and easy supplementary income of $1400 a week by working just a couple of hours a day. But the promise of easy cash comes at a cost.
Ascon International
If you think you have seen this unsolicited job offer before, you are right! Only one letter separates this latest money mule scam from the Ascot International (Finance Group) LLC money mule scam which bombarded our inboxes last month.
Ascot International
Ascot International (Finance Group) LLC is looking for energetic, reliable and honest people to carry out illegal activities. This unsolicited email is the latest money transfer/money mule scheme doing the rounds.
Asian telephone scam
Chinese speaking scammers are telephoning consumers who come from Asian backgrounds, with the intention of cheating them into sending wire transfers of funds to bank accounts in Hong Kong.
Athens Financial Group Ltd
The same pitch, the same website and the same scam. The only difference between Athens Financial Group Ltd and Israeli Brokerage Services Ltd is the name. The email is a reworked version of the Israeli Brokerage, Norway Consulting, Global Austrian Syndicate and UK Modulus Invest money laundering scams.
Aus Prize Disbursement Agency
Previously WA ScamNet told you about a scam called “Payment Processing Bureau” whose mail address was PO Box 609, Elland, HX5 9DN, United Kingdom. Would anyone like to guess the return postal address for this scam…?
Australian Fair Trading
What a cheek! Cyber criminals aim to steal your identity by putting out an email confirming your “complaint” about identity theft!
Australian International Lottery
Wouldn’t it be nice to be told you have won $200,000? Not if the email is from the Australian International Lottery Program. The only money you’ll see is the money you waste sending it to these scammers.
Australian Lottery Corporation
WA ScamNet normally warns Australian consumers about fraudsters trying to con people out of their money by using the names of UK and Spanish lotteries.
Australian Taxation Office (ATO) refund email
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has warned people about a fraudulent email being circulated that claims to offer a refund from the Tax Office. Thanks to Channel 10 for the footage.
Austro Canadian Lottery
AustroAmerican Jackpot is supposedly run by AustroCanadian Lottery. Never heard of it – nor has Lotterywest and it supposedly shares its Osborne Park head office with this outfit.
Award Distribution Independent Committee (ADIC)
WA ScamNet believes the Blacktacos Marketing Company is behind this latest scam involving the very generous Mr Smith who has set up a “Savings Investment Allowance” for the recipient who must claim the money. And the first cheque is ready to be sent now!
Award Notification Commission
Award Notification Commission suggests that you are the winner of one million dollars. They even suggest you seek advice from a financial professional on how to spend your windfall. Unfortunately, the only windfall you are likely to receive is a windfall of other similar misleading offers.
Baida Group phone scam
Your phone rings and what do you know – it’s another telemarketer. This time the person on the end of the line is from Baida Group of Hong Kong. And if you just answer their three question consumer survey you could win an mp4 player! It’s a way to hook you in and begin grooming you in order to steal your money.
Bali Card Game Scam
West Australians heading to Bali for a holiday are being warned about an elaborate gambling scam that’s led to many people losing thousands of dollars.
Bank Vault
The popular television program Seinfeld coined the expression “put it in the vault” meaning to keep something a secret. Well, WA ScamNet wishes that Bank Vault would put its offer in the “vault” and stop bombarding Western Australian consumers with its silly offer.
Bank emails
You have just received an urgent email from your bank notifying you of fraudulent activity. If you receive an email call from someone purporting to be from your bank and requesting account and password details, do not respond. Immediately contact your bank. Do not use the telephone number the email has provided.
Beat the Recession Chain Letter
Pyramid schemes have been around for a while but WA ScamNet has received recent complaints about a chain letter doing the rounds, which uses the global financial crisis as a way to convince people to take part.
Car Crash Compensation Phone Scam
Scammers are offering compensation for a car accident in an attempt to obtain personal information from victims.
Bitcoin Millionaire Scam
Western Australian’s are being targeted with spam emails and links to a website offering a bitcoin trading software which promises to makes $2440 per day. The email and website say they will realease as few as 500 licences for the software, creating a sense of urgency.
Blacktacos
The Blacktacos mail orders sales company is one of the most prolific serial scammers known to WA ScamNet.WA ScamNet have nicknamed the company the “black-hearted Blacktacos” because it brazenly sends out the same type of scam under more than a dozen different names. It preys on people’s vulnerabilities by promising riches beyond their dreams in return for a small amount, typically around $50.
Canadian Diamond Traders
WA consumers are being warned not to become involved in a diamond related pyramid-trading scheme emanating from Canada, which is operating in WA.
Bogus Appliances Deals website
We have had reports from customers about the website appliancesdeals.com.au, which is bogus, even though it appears legitimate.
Buyer beware fake websites
How do you spot a fake website? The reality is they can look really professional and may have copied official logos, high quality images and even stolen an ABN from a real business. One sign of a fake site can be a recent copyright date but scammers may also put an older copyright date to fool you.
Catch the scammer scams
If you get a call from someone saying they want your help to catch a scammer and need you to pay, hang up – it’s a scam!
Centrelink calls may be a scam
Scammers pretending to be Centrelink staff have potentially fleeced thousands of dollars from Western Australians.
Check the tick before you click
These days, it pays to be extra vigilant on social media. Like-harvesting, or like-farming as it is also called, is a scam perpetuated throughout Facebook and features bogus pages designed to do nothing more than “harvest” your likes.
Chemist Warehouse survey
A fake online questionnaire claiming to be from popular chemists are doing the rounds. People receive a link to the survey, which may even appear to be sent by a friend or family member.
Commerce government officer impersonations
Scammers are pretending to be Commerce officers in email and phone scams.
Deaf Lotto International Program
Internet scammers have no shame! Now they are targeting the disabled, in particular the deaf in our community, with promises of a huge Lotto win.
Department of Human Services Phishing Email Scam
A number of phone calls have been received in regards to a possible email scam appearing to be from the Department of Human Services.
Door to Door Digital TV Sales
Door to door sales can be something seeming simple but all sa;es persons must have proof of business, office address, card, reference, website, ABN. No personal details required other than basic details for follow up contact.
E-Global Enterprises
Cash, cars, cameras, computers, compact discs, camcorders – E-Global Enterprises claims you qualify for one of these fantastic prizes.
EcoLife Company
These pithy catchphrases, contained in the email subject area, are being used to hook you into a money transfer scheme using the name EcoLife Company. WA ScamNet would like to add its own catchphrase to this: “Participate in this scam and spend time in jail”.
Email threats about video release
Scammers claim they have created a video of the recipient watching adult content and threaten to send it to their social media contacts if they are not paid a sum of money.
C O M M O N S C A M S
The following are some of the most common scams and crimes that the FBI encounters, as well as tips to help prevent you from being victimized. Visit the Bureau’s White-Collar Crime and Cyber Crime webpages for information on more fraud schemes.
Business Investment Fraud
Business Email Compromise
Business email compromise (BEC) is one of the most financially damaging online crimes. It exploits the fact that so many of us rely on email to conduct business—both personal and professional.
Charity
Charity and disaster fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work. While these scams can happen at any time, they are especially prevalent after high-profile disasters.
Consumer Fraud
Learn more about common scams that target consumers from our partners at the Federal Trade Commission.
Elder Fraud
Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme, including romance, lottery, and sweepstakes scams, to name a few.
Healthcare Fraud
Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. It affects everyone causes tens of billions of dollars in losses each year. The FBI is the primary agency for investigating health care fraud, for both federal and private insurance programs.
Holiday
When shopping online during the holiday season—or any time of year—always be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, and do your part to avoid becoming a scammer’s next victim.
Money Mules
A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. Some money mules know they are supporting criminal enterprises; others are unaware that they are helping criminals profit. Don’t be a mule.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents you from accessing your computer files, systems, or networks and demands you pay a ransom for their return.
Romance
Protect your heart—and your wallet—by learning to spot and prevent romance scams.
Sextortion
Sextortion is a crime that involves adults coercing kids and teens into sending explicit images online. The FBI has several resources to help caregivers and young people better understand what sextortion is, how to protect against it, and how to talk about this growing and devastating threat.
Skimming
Skimming occurs when devices illegally installed on ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps capture data or record cardholders’ PINs.
Spoofing & Phishing
Spoofing and phishing are schemes aimed at tricking you into providing sensitive information—like your password or bank PIN—to scammers
Content taken from 2015 – 2022
COMMON SCAMS GLOBALLY
COVID-19
Grandkid
ATO/TAX
Jury Duty
“You’ve Won”
Fake Check
Computer Repair
Inheritance
Romance
Fake Charity
Medicare
Home Repair
Credit Card Fraud
Social Security
scamnet.wa.gov.au
scamwatch.gov.au/
accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-protection
