Be vigilant: Scamwatch releases 3 warnings in 3 days

Scamwatch, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website designed to provide information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams, has warned Australians this week about a plethora of new text-message scams that impersonate real people and real businesses.

The first scam they warned of attempts to lure victims to invest in fake bonds by impersonating a real person and a real business. Scamwatch posted the details to Twitter on November 19, saying:

Watch out for #scam texts claiming to be from ‘Thomas Flynn’. This scammer is impersonating a real person & company to lure people into investing in fake bonds. Always independently research – scammers often claim bonds are issued by real firms. Delete these texts too! pic.twitter.com/ZEXfRRm82e

— Scamwatch_gov_au (@Scamwatch_gov) November 18, 2021

One Twitter user said they had received this very text “about a month ago”.

Another scam tries to trap people in Ponzi schemes by appearing to recruit workers for well-paying jobs. Scamwatch tweeted about this on November 18, saying:

Beware of text messages like these offering jobs that you can do part time or from home. These are a #scam designed to lure you into ponzi schemes. How to spot them? Watch out for high rates for short timeframes and ‘wa’ whatsapp links. Don’t click the links and just delete! pic.twitter.com/nTlVPLPk6c

— Scamwatch_gov_au (@Scamwatch_gov) November 18, 2021

The final scam that Scamwatch warned of, is one that involves the interception of invoices. Scammers are allegedly inserting their own bank details into the payment sections to redirect payments to themselves, rather than to the original location.

Scamwatch posted the details on Twitter on November 17, saying:

Scammers can intercept invoices and insert their own bank details, redirecting big payments to themselves. Don’t let your business or suppliers get ripped off! Check the details against a previous invoice and always follow your company’s payment procedures to avoid a #scam. pic.twitter.com/f2YCmHKpSI

— Scamwatch_gov_au (@Scamwatch_gov) November 16, 2021

Tips to avoid being scammed:

1. Never click on a link sent to you from a number you don’t know.
2. Not answering calls from unknown numbers.
3. Blocking any sender with a call, email, or text that seems suspicious.
4. Check invoice payment details against previous invoices where possible.