How and what effect does scamming have on you?

shelly47

I was scammed a couple of years ago when someone tried to use my debit card number with St George bank. I receive gift cards and pay pal payments for doing surveys so I get a lot of email invitations from different company's. I have a fly buy card for colesand often get surveys to do from them as well. I have a Woolworths Everyday rewards card with them and get emails from them too. The scam looked like an invitation from Woolworths (exact logo at top) asking me to fill in a survey and they would send a credit to my bank card account. So I thought it was a legitimate email and obliged with my details. Next thing I get a urgent text from SG requesting me to call them. When I did they said someone using my number of my debit card had tried to buy 2 airline tickets to Asia for $2000 each. My account had insufficient funds luckily so they could not complete the purchase. I was so thankful I had not given another account or card number as I could have lost out for sure. I then had to change bank account passwords and get new cards etc and notify the scam to scam watch and accc. Just last week my husband's credit card number was used overseas for Uber fares ( all about $23.00 ) but 15 of them. When they appeared on our account my husband contacted the bank immediately. They think his number may have been hacked from when he signed up for Stan a few weeks ago as others have been scammed also. So we have just had to go through changing numbers and getting issued new cards etc again. I urge everyone to be very careful when buying things online and when giving details on surveys, because I now get a lot of suspect emails which are not legitimate and could be a dangerous link if opened.

Teka

I got so many different scammers calls and my phone number is a "silent" number and not listed anywhere. My poor neighbour got scammed $10K with a phone call of someone passing as a Telstra employee saying that he needed to get access to his computer because there was a problem with his internet broadband.
I also got the same call and I recorded the conversation and passed on to Telstra. I never let them get into my computer.

The latest call I got is from someone saying that they are from an insurance company in regards to an accident claim. I didn't have an accident so I tell them to go to hell and stop trying to scam people.
Another scam call I got is the typical Indian person passing as an ATO employee! Everybody probably heard of that by now and I let him talk and threat me and then I give him a piece of my mind where I tell him that he should be ashamed of himself for doing that to people.

So now if I get this types of calls I just tell them off big time and try to reach their conscience that what they are doing is not right. I know I am probably wasting my time but I have to try. :-)

dirtbag

Being unemployed I have noticed how the phone at home rings constantly through the day. 99% of the calls are scammers or unwanted.

Jinja

I recently had a workman knock at the door and want to fix my roof. There had been alerts in the local paper about this scam, and luckily our dog decided to growl at him through the screen door, and he left.

marktime

The last few i have had were a bit unfortunate in their timing either involving Australia Post , Tax or Phone bills. Phone Account is direct debit so that buggered that one, Aust Post had just delivered the gear I was expecting so that one was a dud and Tax is done through a Tax Agent so that one failed as well..

j4

I GET REAL PISSED OF WITH THESE LOW LIFE SCUM. THEY SHOULD GET 5 YEARS JAIL.

bossn

The funny thing about this topic is for cases like phone scams. How does these people get there hands on your number anyway because in some cases, we have people have their number blocked or blacklisted on the national register?(can't recall what it is called) but these people still manage to get their hands on it. There is obviously a loop hole in this simple case alone and opens up the opportunities for scams. I haven't personally been scammed but have heard my fair share of cases. Elderly getting scammed by well informed, scam artist who are pretty much your next level sales consultant. Their ability to get you to talk on a personal level is key in furthering their chances of scamming you and as unfortunate as it is, many people fall victim to these people left and right. And yes, you should be angry at the real company because they should be the ones to do something about these cases but really what can they do? not much. Unless they are the government and happy to do things as long as they don't get caught, theres nothing anyone can do. You must be well informed to pick out a scammer or the easiest way to deal with things is to just ignore them all and don't give anyone the chance.

Skylark

A minor annoyance. I kind of enjoy the phone scammers claiming to be from "Windows" its a chance to vent some really, mean, horrible, cruel, racist rants on these scammers. It always improves my mood.

dave7072

I hate it when I get Phone calls telling me they are from 'Microsoft' & they have detected spam etc. coming from my PC. Also a variation on that is they are from Telstra & cos of this they are about to cut off my internet feed etc.
I'm a tech & I'm fully aware they are talking absolute rubbish, even if you dream that 'Microsoft' or 'Telstra' or whomever would actually call you.
I used (if I had the time) string them along for a while but eventually that joke wore out.
Nowadays I just tell them they are criminals & hang up on them.
Grr.

KittiCat

Everybody, beware of Emails that promise you can make thousands of dollars in a week. These are Binary Trading scams. These emails take you to a slick video with people living the high life and you can make a heap of money in a very short time. I've been stung with this. Upon registering, you get calls immediately from these companies pestering you to deposit your 'investment', and they don't stop. Some of you may have come across what's called the Drexel Code, Qantam Code and the Aussie Method. It is the same thing - Binary Trading. Stay away

Steve30342827

I like many others have had scam calls purporting to be from the security section of assorted banks (mainly CommBank and NAB). They like to say they have stopped a payment they think is suspicious and want to check with me that it's okay to release it. Typically the payment is overseas, and they want to ask some details about the account to confirm it.
Given they constantly use the same lines whatever bank they say they're from, it's not hard to pick the scam after the first time. First time I treated it with suspicion and rightly so. It has no bearing on how I feel about the companies they say they're from. What concerns me more is how they get our numbers in the first place - do they randomly dial a block of numbers, or what?
Anyway, watch out if they call, as no bank asks you to verify information over the phone when they call you.

Groove50

I recently received a message on my landline from a woman with an African accent with a very threatening tone. She said she was calling from the Australian Taxation Office and that I was going to be charged with Tax Fraud and I needed to ring this 1800 number immediately other wise I would have the police coming to arrest me. I did a google search of the number and it was listed as a scam. My cousin also received a similar very threatening message on her answering machine only yesterday. They are obviously targeting the elderly who are more easily tricked by these things. So please if you have elderly relatives or friends with a landline please warn them to not be fooled by these scam calls. If you were in trouble with the Taxation office you would receive an official letter from them not a phone call.

Anonymous

if theres even a slight chance of it being a scam I back off, not worth the risks. people arent as trust worthy as they once were.

Lastcardlouis

I seem to get pretty much the same emails and phone calls as everyone else but I'm reasonable IT savvy and nobody has scammed me yet. These scammers don't alter my opinion of the firms they're misrepresenting. However I occasionally receive dodgy emails purporting to be from my ISP and this does get up my nose, as the ISP claims to be able to detect this sort of thing.

Jboy

Once someone charged $200 from my account and it was at pay station point.
It made me understand the importance of vigilance and privacy with bank ing
and my email account.
I mostly send all unknown mail to junk & delete,

youi

ave been told many times I have won something but have to pay the delivery fee--Ha Ha they only want visa card no

jjdrer

My latest experience is there is as guy using my mobile phone number as a contact when doing bookings. I've had text messages for 2 things so far, 1. he booked a holiday. 2. he booked a massage.

Freedomy

Scamming. A hidden agenda - with the motivation to get something from you and give you nothing in return. It leaves me feeling empty. I fret for the elderly and the young and the lonely and the vulnerable, because they are always the targets, which means the general population and no one is exempt. And answer to your question does someone pretending to be from a reputable company make you mistrust the real company. I thank the heavens above that I am a person who really enjoys the feel of items I purchase, so I don't do internet shopping and I don't do things over the phone. I only purchase things over the net for blogging with a https (s) being secure so it means things will be backed up by a company. I feel insulted by people knocking at my door for a sales pitch - these days I find it the wrong way to do business. So I feel pretty secure. Mind you if anyone went for my bank accounts I would laugh and say here let me help you to my last ten dollars. However with more to mind I think I would be looking at diversifying how I went about keeping all my accounts together. I hope I answered your question.

Goulah

Lately I have been getting phone calls from someone purporting to be from Telstra. They asked me for my account number to confirm their records. I did the right thing and reported it to Telstra who said just to ignore the scammers but they could not do anything about it.

annezane

I am very cautious and ask for all information to be sent via mail. That way I can look at it and decide, if its a scam they won't send it. I never give my address out, if they have rung me they should have my address lol

super88

There are different levels of scams. From the person trying to sell something low quality or overprice, to the free gift if you attend a (hard sell) seminar, to phone and computer scammers.

Scammers can be pretty clued up. They can claim to be from a reputable company that has the identical product to a known brand or let you believe what you want to think.

On the internet they could offer a gift card from a reputable company and promote that companies colours and even their logo to lull the target into assuming they are part of that enterprise, without actually making that specific claim (read the fine print).

It would be pretty stupid of the real company if they didn't identify and distance themselves from scammers. So I guess their reputation is diminished if scams happen and their involvement is implied.

Freedomy

I make a point of never giving over any personal information over the phone. If they are a telemarketer (I used to be one) I make a polite exit. I don't believe we have to give details over the phone, there are so many other ways of accessing information. Put simply I don't buy anything, if they sound convincing (or pushy and I cant talk my way out of it) I ask them for a web address and I will check it out through there.

Its not like the old days anymore.

Create

We've had the lot I think! Emails from banks (that we aren't with!) Optus, PayPal, eBay, etc. I just ignore those or fwd them to eg PayPal, who have their own spoof reporting email. The top 3 are:

1. The most annoying are the phone calls, so with the ones that say they are Telstra and our computer is blocking the internet or something, I have a variety of techniques, including stringing them along for as long as I can (they can't call someone else while they are on the phone to me!), asking them which particular computer they are referring to, asking for their details saying I'll call them back, asking to speak to their supervisor etc. Otherwise I ask them how they can sleep at night and can't they get a real job instead of being so dishonest and working for such a scam! Or ... I ask them questions about their faith and tell them about mine lol. I'm not sure why they haven't blacklisted us yet!

2. There was another one wanting to know if we'd had a motor vehicle accident in the last 6 months and they wanted to pay us compensation .. well, send me a cheque! I'll happily take your money! Sadly, they don't and they hang up when I tell them no-one was injured :) They say they are a law firm representing insurance companies, but wouldn't be specific about which insurance company they were referring to for us :(

3. Once when we had a car for sale on Gumtree/eBay/Car Sales, we received a text saying they were interested, happy with the price, could we email them, they were on an oil rig in NZ and would arrange a courier to p/u the car to take it to the NT. Nearly fell for it til we remembered our daughter had similar and checked with PayPal and eBay who told us it's a scam. Have heard of this one plenty of times since :(

I don't mistrust any companies any more or less, they are just scammers and they'll always be there. I just pray people don't fall for any of them.

PukPuk

Was selling an old car on eBay about 5 years ago. Dude who had highest bid offered a $1000 cheque for the $500 bid and requested the residual be sent by Western Union to a Singapore account. This was Yum Yum for for myself so in conjunction with a mate in the Feds went along with it with a minor twist. The Dude is still doing time for what else was found in his house and computer. His eBay account just opened the day before the scam attempt got cancelled and the cheque was amongst goods stolen a few days earlier.

Bubbles McTavish

I regularly get emails from "Paypal" telling me they will shut my account if I don't login via their link. I've never been caught but I wish Paypal did a better job of policing it.

Possum

a COMPANY, NO NAME GIVEN, TOLD ME THAT MY WINDOWS COMPUTER ISN'T WORKING CORRECTLY, WANTED ME TO GIVE PERMISSION TO DOWNLOAD MY ADDRESSES SO THEY THEY CAN CHECK THEM OUT FOR VIRUS'S, AS WE DON'T HAVE WINDOWS AT ALL, I TOLD THEM TO GET LOST, THEY BACK ABOUT SEVEN TIMES OR MORE IN FIVE DAYS, MY HUSBAND ANSWERED LAST TIME AND BLEW A WHISTLE INTO THE PHONE, MUST HAVE GOT THE MESSAGE AS THEY NEVER RANG BACK.

Maggie23

I have had many email scams. I just hit the delete button. Only last week I received a phone call @ 8 pm from someone supposedly from Telstra. They told me that overseas hackers had got into my computer and they were shutting down my internet connection for a month.
She asked me to turn my computer on to which I said NO! I did ask her for her name & a reference number which she gave me. I reported it to Telstra & was told that it was a scam & Telstra do not ring after 5.30 pm anyway.
It does not make me mistrust Telstra more as it is not Telstra's fault that people are out there pretending to be them.

godsbaby

I have had only one but have heard of others being taken in. If I don't know the place, person or company, I just hang up on them.

rajanakl

yes it makes not wanna trust them and its really annoying not to mention pissing off

Dei

Haven't had any scams for quite a while, maybe they got the message!
Used to commonly get the ones from overseas about an inheritance ... damn it would have been nice to inherit heaps. Last email I got was supposedly from Westpac but I can't recall the details. I ran various scans for viruses though!!!

Kessa1959

Recently I have had a few emails from paypal, ebay which I immediately forward to their phishing email advice.
Have also had them from Westpac & ANZ banks (neither of which I use),
Last week I had someone supposedly from Telstra who wanted to give me a 'better deal" however when I asked him for a contact number was told I wasn't able to phone him back and he would phone me back at a later time.
My parents also had someone from "Telstra" go around their aged care village trying to sell them a cheaper Telstra plan. When mum asked for a copy of the contract to show her daughter was told that once she signed she would get a copy and have a cooling off period - needless to say she got rid of him very quickly.

hoho

One day I had a phone call from stranger number that's not my country code and they are saying that we are electricity company and they do cheaper than other companies and they ask me about my personal information and I knew it's scam because their number I hang up the phone call some people ask you about your personal information and your bank account so they can steal your money or do staff under your name so we should be aware of scams.

hoho

One day I had a phone call from stranger number that's not my country code and they are saying that we are electricity company and they do cheaper than other companies and they ask me about my personal information and I knew it's scam because their number I hang up the phone call some people ask you about your personal information and your bank account so they can steal your money or do staff under your name so we should be aware of scams.

nonos

I am not very computer literate and received a phone call from this lady saying she was from MICROSOFT saying I was having problems with my computer to which I was. She said all I had to do was pay $11 to correct the situation. I kept repeating to her how do I know if u aren't a scammer, after saying this several times she was getting very annoyed with me. She kept trying to get some credit card details so by then I knew she was trying to scam me. My husband happened to ring me on my mobile and I asked him do MICROSOFT ever ring you if you have a problem with your computer and he said no and just hang up which I did. She rang me back 4 more times, to which I told her in not so pleasant language to get lost!! I learnt a valuable lesson that day and now don't trust anybody who rings me about my computer.

Deb61

I have got so sick of answering time wasting Telemarketing calls that I now have a message on my answering machine saying, " If you are a telemarketer we are not interested in talking to you, otherwise leave a message". People we know leave a message, telemarketers don't. Gradually, the amount of telemarketing calls we receive now has greatly reduced. If I want or need a product, I'll go on my own initiative to research it, I don't need telemarketers being pushy when they ring you, it does turn me off.

jjdrer

If they keep ringing you I discovered if you leave your receiver off of the hook and walk away after awhile they realise you aren't going to respond and hang up. They have paid a lot extra for the phone call to you.
I got one at night which may have been just or sales gimic or a scam. I kept trying to tell him I wasn't interested and eventually hung up while he was non-stop mid-sentence. After that every few minutes the phone rang and stopped just as I reached to pick it up. When I went to bed, I left it off the hook for a couple of hours. He must of got the hint as I never heard from him again. I didn't have my number on the "do not call" register at that stage.

heeleen

Yes I have had that Telstra scam , I had heard about it from my sister who had the same thing happen to her, honestly people must be really thick if they fell for it especially if they were not a Telstra customer, and it did not change my opinion of them.

Woody

We got a call just the other day asking if we had Life Insurance, the first call hung up on us and when my wife tried to tell the Indian speaking man on the phone that we do not need any other Insurances he just kept going on and on about how Life, Protection and other insurances will help us in the long run. She had put the phone down on the table because he was annoying us and he kept talking until my wife hung up the phone

Pammy67

We often get the 'your computer is in serious trouble' phone calls, and the longer you stay on the line, the more chance you have of being hacked. I have also received many 'fake' emails from PayPay, stating that my account is being suspended, or for purchases I didn't make. I always send these onto Phising at PayPal to verify that they are fake, and so Paypal can investigate - PayPal appreciates this. I have heard from Telstra that they NEVER phone you like that.

peppi6

Yes I have had many letters and emails to say I have won the MILLION DOLLAR LOTTERY which how could I have won it I had never purchased a ticket. However what is so unfortunate is those low lives attack our lovely elderly people who are unfortunately a little too fragile and trusting. And yes the big companies, not as so upfront do prey on the so not aware and more vulnerable and do also prey to make a business.

blueposy

havnt had many in the last month but prior from citibank,the tax office,australia post,from nigeria and the occassional I am dying of cancer and want to leave you $10,000,000,if I am interested I type the info in with scam next to it and search and no it doesnt make me feel differently towards a company as its not their fault

tagalogdjb

I Regularly Get The "Windows Management Operation Centre Here"..Call On My Home Fone - Lately It's Been A Female Caller Tho'.Same Thing.They Want To Convince You That You Have Problems With Your P.C. And Try To Tricck You Into Giving Them Access To It,So They Can 'Repair' The Damage.I Usually Banter A Little With Them,Then Coldly Announce That My Fone Has A Direct Link To Australian Federal Police Headquarters...Another Regular One In My E-Mails Is So Called Women Who have 'Stumbled' Across My Profile Online & 'Like What They See'..Ahem! ...Usually Accompanied By A Pic Of A 'B'ful,Busty Female' - Sometimes They prfetend Not To Mince Words & Are 'Ready For Some Fast Action In The Cot' LOL - They Even Try To Pretend To Be Parcel Collection Offices With A Missing Parcel Addressed To Me,Which I Only Need To Click On The Accompanying Link To Claim..Ahem..Many Other Types Of Attempted Scams...One Even From A Lawyer Group Asking Me To Click On A Link To Find Out What 'Finding Has Been Made Against Me In A Court Somewhere In The U.S...LOL ...And Then The Most Familiar One..The Lottery Win Claim - Usually Gazillion Amount Of Dollars - Or Someone Who Needs To 'Borrow My Bank Account To Send A Large Sum Of Money' - Naturally I Am Offered 5-10% Of the Sum,Which Is Usually In The Multi-Millions..ALL SCAMS - EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!...

pickle

haven`t had one for awhile but had a run of computer scams i usually say what computer and quiet often they just hang up also had a bank one saying i had been overcharged on bank fees and they needed bank details to transfer it back into sounded very convincing so i can see why people do get caught the email ones are really scary because they do look the goods it doesn`t change my concept of company there are usually ways of sussing out if legit or not

DanishTina

Keep getting pop ups on my computer telling me that it is about to crash and/or being invaded by a virus and need to click here immediately to stop the attack. And yes, get the usual emails re having won a big lotto prize or getting an inheritance and just need to give them my personal details so they can forward me the money.

DanishTina

Keep getting pop ups on my computer telling me that it is about to crash and/or being invaded by a virus and need to click here immediately to stop the attack. And yes, get the usual emails re having won a big lotto prize or getting an inheritance and just need to give them my personal details so they can forward me the money.

jkl421960

I have had scam emails from people and/or companis pretending to be from ANZ and Westpace Banks saying that there is a problem with my account, but I have never had an account with either, I constantly get a stream off phone calls from scammers slaying that that are from microsoft and that there is a problem with my computer. I always delete the emails and do not repsond but I have notified the banks and forwarded the emails to the address they give me. As for the phone calls, I have also told in not so polite terms to take a hike. My problem is not that it gives me a bad opinion of the company but makes me more racist. These calls inevitabley come from off shore and are either Indian in accent or Asian. This in turn makes my job harder as I have to deal with tenants from other coutries. I keep promising myself that I will explain to these idiots that the reason there is so much racial hatred to their people is because of thes scams and constant harrasement. I apolgise if I have offended anyone with my comments in advance.

stratman

I have had the Indian call centres contacting me for some years now telling me my computers is infected and that they will talk me through the fix - SCAM.
I have had calls from people claiming they are from the ATO and they have a refund for me they just need my bank account details - SCAM.
I have had the list goes on.
Depending on my mood I have a variety of approaches to these scammers:

1. I tell them I dont have a computer but they are so dumb they continue with the prepared script anyway.
2. I accept their instructions and tell them my imaginary computer is running slowly and keep then dangling on the line for an hour while they try to resolve my problem and in the end in frustration I tell them I am taking my imaginary computer to a computer technician for repair.
3. I ask them for their address phone number and other details, then tell them I am nearby and could I drop in and see them which is usually met with a reason why I cant
4. I tell them straight up that I am aware it is a scam and advise them I am federal police officer, their call is being monitored, IP address is being tracked and will be used in a criminal prosecution and ask hem if they want to continue - they are so dumb they usually do continue.
I have numerous others including lack of English down to down right non stop abuse to non stop loud whistle noise from the whistle I keep next to the phone
The bottom line caveat emptor - Let the buyer beware. These scammers will try and fleece you of your details and more importantly your money.
The ACCC has a website called scamwatch where scams can be registered and logged as complaints for further investigation although scammers cover their tracks well and its near impossible to catch anyone.
I' sure there are numerous other scams which I havent even experienced as yet.
One legit company that uses questionable enticements is Wyndam which uses the rouse of calling and telling you that you have one a prize voucher. My response is that here are my address details throw it in an envelope and thank them for their generosity. Unfortunately their reply is always that I have to collect it somewhere inconvenient and sit through a 90 minute time share presentation as a result. I usually thank them and say I guess I'll just have to miss out on the prize then.
Companies are in business to make a dollar but using techniques that are insincere or down right dishonest can do immeasurable harm to their image especially in these days of social media. Boards are full of scam experiences and YouTube have some very entertaining videos of recipients of scam calls and their ressonses.
If you get calls from anyone trying to help you give you something for nothing etc treat them as the enemy - maybe that too cynical but its better to be safe and unscammed than adventurous and broke!

jjdrer

I have had the Indian call centres contacting me for some years now telling me my computers is infected and that they will talk me through the fix - SCAM.
I have had calls from people claiming...

I had an emai supposedly from the United States Revenue stating that I had overpaid them. It even had the USA Govt. insignia on it. I told them they had my name and address, to send me a bank cheque. It was labelled USA in description and I thought it was a friend of mine sending me an email using USA as a joke.
Never heard from the "person" again.

kerri31

I have been scammed for $5000 by a group called the PDF Group,QLD. they got me at a time when I was extremely vunerable, my son was in hospital with Luekemia and my husband had just left me normally I would never fall for any scam but at that time I was desperate to make some more money and they promised they would, so here I am a year later lost all that money have rung them and ASIC and many other places to make a complaint but have literally got no where I dont have anywhere else to go so I hope you all read this and remember the name and dont fall for anything they have to say, I am devasted I feel so stupid and have lost trust in, well, just about everything!

jjdrer

I hope you feel better soon.
There is an on-line form. You can find Queensland Police link via Google then report it if you actually lost money in the scam.
THe one I got had a name,...

Sorry, I didn't re-read your original entry. I would definitely report it if you have proof of the scam.

jjdrer

I assume that the company exists they have an address. business number,etc have been told that I could go to the police but that makes me nervous, I live in Victoria so would have to try to contact...

I hope you feel better soon.
There is an on-line form. You can find Queensland Police link via Google then report it if you actually lost money in the scam.
THe one I got had a name, address, businesss name and google map with it.

kerri31

Did the company actually exist? Did you know that a section ofQld. Police actually have a special section that follow up on scams, including those from interstate, including SA. SA Police actually...

I assume that the company exists they have an address. business number,etc have been told that I could go to the police but that makes me nervous, I live in Victoria so would have to try to contact Qld police from here, right now I am so stressed out by all the events that have happened to me recently that dealing with this and police just makes me feel sicker, maybe when I am feeling stronger in myself I will perhaps take it further but right now life has beaten me down and I am exhausted. Thanks for your reply.

jjdrer

I have been scammed for $5000 by a group called the PDF Group,QLD. they got me at a time when I was extremely vunerable, my son was in hospital with Luekemia and my husband had just left me...

Did the company actually exist? Did you know that a section ofQld. Police actually have a special section that follow up on scams, including those from interstate, including SA. SA Police actually notify them of any they are made aware of.

Pete

Had a million if these lately, mostly claiming to be from Telstra, Microsoft or the Commonwealth Bank. I've been around long enough to tell these clowns, most of whom can barely speak intelligible English, to take a hike, but it worries me no end that there are so many trusting people in cyberspace who'll get caught & conned by these lowlives. I don't know what the answer is apart from public awareness campaigns, so it's great to see this site doing its bit. As for how I feel about the companies these jerks claim to represent, it's not their fault so doesn't affect my opinion of them at all. I actually detest Telstra for totally different erasons.

jjdrer

Had a million if these lately, mostly claiming to be from Telstra, Microsoft or the Commonwealth Bank. I've been around long enough to tell these clowns, most of whom can barely speak intelligible...

I had one from another company about 3 years ago - foreign accent and when I asked where she was calling me from she said Sydney. Seeing I could hear interference from overseas satellite interference I knew she was lying. I hd a relative living overseas for awhile so I knew what it sounds like.
Part of Telstra's Call Centre is run from Asia. We have a friend who lived nearby whose husband was very ill at the time. They arranged to have their calls diverted to a neighbour as a cable in the street had been cut. When service to the area had been restored they contacted Telstra for the temporary diversion to be removed and they had no idea what she was talking about and said they didn't do that. Funny thing I know for a fact that calls had been diverted because I tried to ring them and my call went through to the neighbour.

Nan.P

I have been getting phone calls from :Microsoft" I just said to them did you know you have called a police person They hung up. Also emails from a bank which I do not even bank with saying my account has been compromised WHAT

jjdrer

I have been getting phone calls from :Microsoft" I just said to them did you know you have called a police person They hung up. Also emails from a bank which I do not even bank with saying my...

There has also been an advertisement on new.com.au page- nothing to do with them - I contacted Microsoft directly, and it was also connected to Toshiba - I contacted them too. It was a competition for a laptop. You are supposed to pay freight via Western Union which you do via Post Office.
I have actually heard staff at one Post Office asking a lady if she was sure it was legitimate. Obviously they were aware that some "firms/people" are using Western Union for scams. Unless processed, the P.O. has no way of retrieving the funds.

colmac

Main scam is purportedly from "Windows", but generally when I say O'Brian Glass looks after my Windows there is a stunned silence and then they hang up. Makes no difference as to how I feel about Windows, just how I feel about the heavily accented callers.

s

There is a scam going around to get you a better offer for your phone and they mention if you are with Telstra or Optus.
I was at a relative's place when they received the phone call and they just said no I am not interested as they were asked are you with Telstra Optus etc .

I also have another relative who received 3 of these calls in the won day!

jjdrer

There is a scam going around to get you a better offer for your phone and they mention if you are with Telstra or Optus.
I was at a relative's place when they received the phone call and they...

I got a call on my Mobile Phone from Optus soon after I had recharged mine. I had spoken to the same guy about 2 weeks before as I had a problem with my service. They were offering me a new phone. I had only had my new one for a few months. On another occasion they offered me double credit in addition to what I had put in my phone-I had an arrangement where I could contacted other Optus customers free of charge. I had my full entitlement of 5 numbers. I rarely used all my credit but any balance I had rolled over if I did it a day or two before it was due. There was a couple of times I had to recharge early or got very close to it. It would taken me "forever" to use it.

Lynstar59

I keep getting email from supposidly from Paypal saying I have limited access to my account and I need to reply to the email & update my banking details. If you receive this email contact Paypal do not open it & provide any details.

jjdrer

I keep getting email from supposidly from Paypal saying I have limited access to my account and I need to reply to the email & update my banking details. If you receive this email contact Paypal do...

That one has been going around for quite awhile. I also kept sendimg me amended Terms and Conditions. I didn't give them any details by I got tired of being harrassed by them - I knew what it was via Subject. I opened it and told them I would reported them to Australian Federal Police if they attempted to contact me again. I haven't had any more since. I told them I never had an account.
I wouldn't use them anyway. I checked them out via Google and their fees etc.are through the roof.

June

I have had several phone calls from someone saying they are from either Virgin or Qantas and that I am due for a refund of $900 for overcharging of Fares etc,
which is laughable as I have not had any sort of Flight for 30 years. The Voices sounded very efficient, the so-called Virgin calls had a very well spoken woman. The Qantas calls seemed more like an Asian voice. I can well understand how some people can be conned by these people.

coversharvey

Fell foul of the Garcina CamBogia scam, Only caught fo $100 and no delivery of goods, They keep trying to debit the credit card but the bank has implemented a no payment of O/S debits.

lynneeime

I get lots of emails about various banks, some I bank with and some I don't. I delete these straight away. I also have been contacted about my computer from so called Telstra but as I let them know, my son fixes all my computer problems.

CAT17

Oh I have had calls from 'Telstra" and Microsoft - but I picked up right away they were not 'right'. Never give out information over the phone unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure who you are taking with. I don't like pass by to pay for things either!

flyingace

scammer's are only interested in getting your money and thats all

SpiderLegs

Just last week I received a call from the "telstra Technical Department", telling me that I had numerous problems with my computer and that I would need to have them fixed and due to their (Telstra's) online capability that they would be able to fix it then and there. I let them talk through a few things and start guiding me on how to fix the problem, when I asked them "what happens if I don't have a Telstra account??". Some cursing was heard as they disconnected.

I always string them along for a while, thinking that it might cost them a bit more, but they probably use Viber, or Skype or similar and don't pay any actual call costs.
My name is on the Do not call Register, but that only deters the legitimate cold callers.

Mersie

Not a day goes past that I don't get some sort of email from a scammer, Paypal is one that they use often, you get a email saying you have bought a item off ebay or somewhere, and you immediately think, I didn't buy that. If you don't stop and think, you would automaticly click on the link in the email because they have copied it exactly, but the difference is, Paypal always addresses you by name, but the spoof emails always say dear Paypal user.
Another one is a email saying your email address has been selected and won a prize, I have also had emails from St George bank, ANZ Bank CBA Bank, a lot of older people could easily be fooled by these as they copy them so exactly, you just have to be on your guard and don't click on links in emails, type the address directly into your browser if you feel the need to check.

divyesh

A couple of times I have received calls claiming to be from Microsoft, advising they have detected a virus on my computer.
I was obviously aware of this scam.
On telling them, how they have detected it when my computer is not connected to the internet, he replied 'they have special software on the computer which helps them detect it'. After a few minutes of inquiry, he abused and then hung up.

Apart from that, there have been numerous calls from a particular solar company.
Despite repeatedly telling them not to call me, i used to get calls everyday, which led me to not pick up the phone at all, as mainly all calls on the landline are marketing or scam calls.

Goofus

I put my phone on the "do not call" register so I receive very few calls. However, I do receive the scam concerning Telstra and my computer supposedly having trouble. I seem to receive these calls every few weeks then a gap of a few months before they start again. Depending on my mood at the time I either hang up, put the phone down and walk away while they are talking or go along with them for a while to waste their time before telling them they are scammers, with a few other derogative terms thrown in, and hang up. This has not changed my opinion of Telstra at all.

cavna

I received an SMS message, supposedly from Westpac telling me there had been "some unusual activity" on my account and to log on to a "Westpac" web address. Although I don't have a personal account, i do operate one for a group for which I am treasurer so I entered the address. Fortunately my virus protection popped up with a message advising this might be a scam. I then phoned Westpac and was advised they never send SMS messages and were aware of this scam. Two days later I got the same message again!
Cavna

macgyver7

Yes, I have had phone calls many times, claiming the person is from Telstra and he wants to assist with my computer data running slow. I was warned about these scammers, I politely told him I was contacting Telstra to find out, by them if his details are correct and he hung up. I then phoned Telstra, the Telstra staff informed me to get the phone numbers and report all of the calls to police on 1800 333 000. I was given sound advice by a staff officer at Telstra. Now that I have all of the phone numbers recorded, I will report these scams to police on the above number. It has brought me closer to Telstra, because of the sound advice, by a staff officer. I trust this information will assist, anyone getting scam phone calls, pretending to be from Telstra.

kandi7

We've had the computer one where they want us to do all these things to our computer, they got my dad this one time and he kept them on the phone for ages pretending to do what they were asking and at the end he told them he didn't have a computer, I thought it was rather funny.

Anonymous

Scammers tried to scam me, when they rang me , claiming to be from Microsoft and told me there was something wrong with my computer. InitiallymI believed them as they went through gaining control of my computer and simply typing a directory listing and then trying to tell me that all of those files were infected. Then they asked me for money to fix the problem.

Fortunatey, I was too poor and couldn't give them any until payday. So they said they would call me back then. However, after thinking about it for a few days, I realised there was something fishy. So I rang Microsoft and asked them about it. Microsoft told me that they never ring people to ask them for money. I then asked them if they would go after these scammers to protect their good name, but they were not interested. So I am disappointed that Microsoft was not prepared to hunt down these scammers.

Anonymous

Scammers tried to scam me, when they rang me , claiming to be from Microsoft and told me there was something wrong with my computer. InitiallymI believed them as they went through gaining control of my computer and simply typing a directory listing and then trying to tell me that all of those files were infected. Then they asked me for money to fix the problem.

Fortunatey, I was too poor and couldn't give them any until payday. So they said they would call me back then. However, after thinking about it for a few days, I realised there was something fishy. So I rang Microsoft and asked them about it. Microsoft told me that they never ring people to ask them for money. I then asked them if they would go after these scammers to protect their good name, but they were not interested. So I am disappointed that Microsoft was not prepared to hunt down these scammers.

rcave

I received a similar call and reported it to Telstra.They put a trace on my phone and although I received another scam call and i reported it to Telstra I heard nothing back.A couple of months later another call and again I reported it.Telstra informed me If I wanted the trace back on I would have to pay. I told theh i thought it might be of benefit to them not me ang hung up.

pumikin

I am currently worth about $200 million according to all the emails from people offering me money. I also love the emails from 'banks' that I have never had an account with telling me that my account is going to be suspended if I don't click the link provided. But my all time favourite (not) is from the Indian heavily accented person whose name is Ted (or Bob or Steve, etc.) from Sydney who is calling from Microsoft about the virus that my computer has. I simply reply that they are NOT from Microsoft & if they call again I will request that the Federal Police trace the call. This usually gives me 6 - 9 months before they call again & the process is repeated.

Bug

I received an email from a British Lottery company telling me I'd won 2nd prize od almost 50 000 pounds. At first I was so excited then I thought, well how can I win if I haven't entered anything. So I emailed them back and they said my email address was picked at random. If I sent them 100 pounds they could transfer the money to my bank. I told them I didn't have the money but they could take it from my winnings. They said they couldn't do that but if I sent them 50 pounds they would transfer the winnings. I emailed them again saying I didn't have it and they dropped down to 20 pounds. I had called my son in the UK and told him all about these emails and he told me it was a scam that had been reported on TV over there. So I emailed the company and told them they could keep my "winnings" as I had no money to send them. They kept emailing me for weeks afterwards and only stopped when I threatened to report them to the police.
I was wrong to keep contacting them but the devil in me wanted to see how far it would go. I'm just so happy I didn't send them any money or give them my banking details.
I have no bad feelings towards lottery companies because of this scam but I now realise that there is nothing for nothing these days.

skiman

We were getting calls on a daily basis a few months ago. Depending on my mood sometimes I would try and string them along for fun, other times i would say do you really think you are working for Microsoft and other time i would tell them .....well i would swear so you get the idea. the last straw was when I got one saying they were from Telstra and they wanted to see if they could get me a better deal on my bundle, so they had me going for about 3 minutes because i do have a bundle from telstra and I have had real marketing calls from them in the past because I am a customer and I had given them consent. However on this occasion i was wary and didnt given any personal information. I knew it was real when I they asked what other products I had other than the home phone and I said well if you do work for telstra you woudl know and thats when the conversation went down hill, the person told me how Australian are rude and untrustworthy and lots of other things worse. I keep pushing to say well if you really are in a call centre I wanted his officer code and to be transferred to a team (I work in a call centre so i know what they are meant to do) anyway he ended up hanging up. i reported the call to scamwatch, the police and telstra. In the end telstras suggestion was to block all incoming overseas calls and we have not had a call since. The only calls we get now are from charities (and the occassion political call) but now I just tell the charities I dont give over the phone, i give in other ways so please remove me from your call list and 4 months later we hardly get all calls at all anymore. I just dont trust anyone who calls anymore, no scamming me. I was cranky with telstra as they seemed not to really care when i first reported it so I got the incident escalated and reached a satisfactory outcome and they explained they were working very hard with authorities to stop the calls from coming thru to everyone.

gobbytart

when I hear a VOIP tone I guess the call is going to be a scam. Sometimes I listen to the pitch and go along with it for a while other times I ask questions, who they are, try and get a phone number and then report them to the ACCC or some other company like that

tans

We've had heaps of calls about our "computer problem" I usually say that we don't have a computer and they hang up one got shitty with me. get regular emails fishing from all sorts of companies and banks paypal too I don't open any of them.. I just think these people would be better off getting jobs and lives and leave the rest of us alone to mind our own business and get on with it in peave

delo

I have had those bubbleheads ring me to representing Telstra and Microsoft as well by ringing my home phone. Also through my email I have had people from Nigeria and Africa pretending to want to buy something from my eBay shop then telling me they will pay up only when I agree and proceed to give all sorts of details. This went on and on for three weeks until I told them the fun was gone and go jump

petag

I have had those bubbleheads ring me to representing Telstra and Microsoft as well by ringing my home phone. Also through my email I have had people from Nigeria and Africa pretending to want to...

Have had many emails with large sums of money waiting for me. Also lots of phone calls about computer problems. The best one was from Virgin saying that I was due for a $800 refund. As I have not been on a plane for nearly 10 years and have never flown Virgin I was not impressed.

princessxena

Scammers are a pain to everyday life. By far the worst contenders are the ones that you think are coming from family and friends that asked you to click here. If you aren't smart enough and you click, that will sometimes be the most annoying thing. Another one is the scammers from the banks. It's easy if you don't bank with them but if you do and again you click on the button then this can also create heaps of pain. I don't click on anything so it doesn't affect me and doesn't affect my opinion of the company.

Les

we were almost caught by the travel agent from Malaysia last year. We got the email, replied to it and then the young man rang us. It sounded very plausible until we checked with our bank who told us it was a scam. They even had a web site, We looked on Google Earth for the location of the address which was given, only to find it was a motorway!. A salutary lesson.
We have had the computer phone calls as well but not recently.

MariaG

We keep getting phone calls, from people who can barely speak English, who say "we have been told you were involved in an accident recently...is this true?". My husband strung them along for a while and it seems they are trying to gain personal information for whatever purpose. In the end hubby said "OMG ... you had an accident!!!" and they hung up. Next call the answer was "I think you have the wrong number. I am in a wheelchair and don't drive a car". They haven't phoned back after that.
When the Microsoft scam first surfaced, I think I may have been one of the first to be approached as it was quite some time ago. As soon as I was asked to provide access to my computer I pretty much told them to stop wasting my time. I then phoned Microsoft Australia and reported the situation. They said in no uncertain terms that Microsoft NEVER contact people by phone. I suggested they use their computer prowess to put a stop to it. Tongue in cheek of course.
A few days later I had another call from the Microsoft imposters. I told them they were scammers and I have reported them to Federal Police. Haven't heard from them since.
You have to be so careful and remember, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER share personal information.

bawe

My inbox is full of them. Some get routed to Spam, others get through to my main inbox.

Lots of Job offer emails (work from home, no experience necessary, upfront payment required), lottery win notifications (payment of an administration fee is required), starbucks coupons (I have never been a customer of starbucks), package delivery notifications from TNT, UPS (say what?), DHL requesting me to print the invoice and send to post office, penalty payment requests for driving on a toll road without payment (no I don't do this), fake dating messages asking me for my nickname and other personal information (if you click on the link in the message, it directs you to register on a dating website. You will find that the person does not exist), and demands from the FBI wanting me to contact them urgently with appropriate payment (if payment is not received, I will be due in court).

I also receive a few of these through SMS on my phone. But of course, they are not legitimate so they have no effect on my opinions of the companies mentioned in the scams. I'm so sick of these scams, I've become immune to them. Any one else want to offer a scam?

Gerry1945

Australia Post is a very dangerous one from Russia at the moment, it uses the encrypo locker malware and you can not use your PC again, they ask for 300 plus dollars to unlock your PC but maybe they will ask for more.
Paypal Yahoo Hotmail etc etc and any other warning emails if it does not have your proper name on it is a scam. Always go to the real site and sign in to check messages do not click on LINKS on the email.

edwardio

i have had a company claiming to be from windows microsoft telling me about a virus on my computer which will close it down if i dont let them clean it for me.after several times asking them to confirm who they represent they have hung up.

Innercitymum

There are so many of them. I get emails from Apple all the time telling me I have been locked out of my account. I have had phone calls from Microsoft wanting access to my account and computer, I have had calls from people pretending to upgrade my Telstra account. Endless. Too many to remember via email and phone and even sometimes text messages. Drives me nuts. Why can't people just be trust worthy?

kfactor

My husband answered the landline phone the other night to this so called company conducting a survey (he couldn't remember the company). He told them that we are on the do not call register and wanted to know where they got our number from. He said they purchased it from a shopping survey. My husband told him in no uncertain terms that 1) what they're doing is illegal, 2) never call our number again, and then if they persist in calling, we will seek legal advice. I hope the person got the message. But isn't this a fault in the Do Not Call Register. Why are they allowing this to happen?

boppa99

I have had many scammers through email and phone scams,which I find the worst,because there ringing about your computer has a virus or I have been given money from a pay out which was one on Anzac Day,Of all days too ring,I have gone as far in giving my bsbs And Account in believing the Scammer until I realize they want money from me first ,Thats where I told them off.
I hav"nt lost too them by giving thous Details ,Nothing was taken.
As Iam getting older,Iam getting more wiser with them,because they are mostly Indian people on the phone
Again I don"t get turned off the Real company they trying to be,because they are normally more annoying then the real Company any way

robbie33

Yes, I've received at least two emails from people making out they are Paypal and wanting my personal details e.g. credit card and bank details. What made me think twice about replying was that the word Paypal did not read correctly plus I also knew that Paypal never ask for those particular details.
I sent a copy of the email to Paypal for them to action.
Have not had any further comments from either parties.

mausy

We got a phone call from some-one claiming to be from Microsoft, said we had issues with our computer, luckily my adult son was home, this person asked him to sit at the computer and get walked through fixing these problems, he started following these requests, then realized something was not quite right so hung up..next day work mates questioned this.. so off to the police...warning of such scams and to take the computer to be checked....!!..11 viruses found... All fixed..!! Privacy all intact... A bit costly but a lesson well learnt...!!.

. V

well speaking of scams, just got the most interesting email today that read the following;

You were chosen by God to receive my Cash Grant Donation of $2,000,000 USD

Please contact:
Mrs.Patricia Chandler via email: PatriciaChandler@163.com

this was addressed to me in my emails this afternoon, Mate I couldn't stop laughing as a friend and I were just discussing a religion and god about 1/2 hour before hand.

jjdrer

well speaking of scams, just got the most interesting email today that read the following;

You were chosen by God to receive my Cash Grant Donation of $2,000,000 USD

Please...

There has been a lot similar to that.
I also got one alledged from a military guy in Afghanistan wanting me to invest "oil money" on his behalf. The surname in the email address was the same as an old friend of mine. I decided to contact her just of curiosity to see if she knew anything about the person named in it as I knew a relative of hers was/had been in the Military Forces. That made them aware that their name was being tarnished.

loctent

when I get calls from scammers telling me my computer is under threat I just say I do not have a computer then there is silence and they just hang up

mtg

Yes I get a constant email from pay pay that my account has been suspended until i change my pass word. I dont have a pay pal account so i take no notice and i dont blame the company at all. I get the phone call from the computers ones they say there from windows or microsoft in sydney. On windows site there is a warning that they dont monitor peoples computers. As I dont make overseas call we had telstra block international calls and the phone calls stopped

abbg

I would be a multi millionaire according to the emails I have got in the last month with unknown overseas people leaving me their fortunes.
I constantly get emails from big banks requiring login details to my account as they need to check details - problem is I donot and have never had accounts with them.
UPS is another email I have been getting on a regular bases for sometime now not sure what their scam is as I have never ordered items to be delivered by them and again they are asking for personal details.

We really do need to be vigilant with email and only open from trusted sources.

As for the house phone the 'DO NOT CALL' register is a joke, but if they have an Indian type accent or there is a delay from answering to someone speaking I have found its a scam call.

Just a quick extra, adds are popping up on the net about 'Windows Drivers need updating to increase performance'. My sister in the UK clicked on this and followed their directions, to cut a long story short it cost her hundreds of pounds to get all the virus's off her lap top and get it working again. So Beware of what you respond to.

Bellajoy

Oh yes, I had that call not only once. I just told them I do not have a computer and the conversation ends.

fishy

We get regular calls from people professing to be from the Telstra technical dept advising that we have problems with a Windows computer - they won't take no for an answer, even when I tell them we have not got a windows computer. They then say that it also affects Apple. I have advised that we have traces on calls, at which stage they hang up. Callers are now saying that they are calling from Sydney, but the calls are definitely from overseas due to the time delay, and accents of the callers. I am sick of all the spam calls....

Leelita

also get the emails saying ive won something. I dont click on anything from anyone i dont know.

fpucek1

I get "those" emails all the time. I just ignore them. I have also got into the habit of not anwering the phone if I dont know the number calling.

Leelita

I,ve had the "there's a problem with your computer" a few times, I'd already heard about it so pretended to go along with it, turn laptop on...press some buttons he says to press...some numbers or letters come up......what are the letters?..... I said something like it spells out F###You. lol. He actually turned around and yelled it back to me, i yelled back to him and hung up. HE rang back and SCREAMED abuse at me and said totally disgusting things. Luckily i dont get offended easily and just shrugged it off, BUT im sure he rang back a few times and hung up.
Since then ive had them ring back a few more times and i just say...."I hope Jesus forgives you for trying to take innocent peoples money from them"
Where as they dont say a word and hang up.
My uncles lady friend told me about a month ago she had a ph call from the nice people at the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane???? Telling her she forgot to pay her Toll fee. ( i dont know if they were just guessing or if there is someone working on the security cameras on the bridge getting numberplate no,s to scam people?) But anyway she said she gave them her visa card details!!!
I said to her that there is no way it was "The gateway bridge people" and that she had been scammed. She said that she hadnt noticed any money missing from her bank account, but ive heard that they usually only start with $20 or so to start off with. I have to go and see her to tell her she needs to close that account.
Im actually saddened by all this, ive heard of so many elderly people getting sucked in by these scammers and losing all their money, i dont know how they go to sleep at night knowing they,s possibly ruined someones life!

Freedomy

Hi Looklively,

I don't even like when my bank is ringing me and asking for my personal details. I always find it kind of odd when they are making enquiries or those debt collection agencies (this has not happened in a while I might add), saying before we talk about you, we want you to give us your information, yet they called. I just cant abide by anyone asking for my personal information. I don't care how legit they appear. My rule of thumb is if anyone states they are a reputable company and want you to answer questions about you, just say no, it is unacceptable. In my case it was more out of avoidance, when I didn't have the case, but nevertheless it was a great way to not continue with the phone call.

Freedomy

Hi Looklively,

I don't even like when my bank is ringing me and asking for my personal details. I always find it kind of odd when they are making enquiries or those debt collection agencies (this has not happened in a while I might add), saying before we talk about you, we want you to give us your information, yet they called. I just cant abide by anyone asking for my personal information. I don't care how legit they appear. My rule of thumb is if anyone states they are a reputable company and want you to answer questions about you, just say no, it is unacceptable. In my case it was more out of avoidance, when I didn't have the case, but nevertheless it was a great way to not continue with the phone call.

diann

Well, I am very sceptical of all emails and phone calls. I just bought a hat online over seas that required more money for delivery to Australia, they took some of the money out of credit card from secure site, but still needed $8.80 to get it to Aus. After 2 weeks of checking that this is a legitimate site and company I finally handed over a temp credit card for the $8.80. still very unsure, but all they can get out of that account is $10. Lets see if I get scammed.

Eugine

I had E-mails which were supposed to be from Coles but they had nothing to do with them. I am careful about opening E-Mails and check first.

Eugine

We continually get the calls regarding our computer.Not as much since we just put the phone down instead of hanging up.Makes no difference about trusting the company as I know the callers are based overseas.

suzukisue

I forgot to add, that yesterday I had an email claiming to be from Paypal, telling me that my account needed re-verifying or it would become 'inaccessible'. I know never to log into paypal/banks via email links, but there were no flaws in this email at all. Usually, the email address is not quite right or there are grammatical errors, but this was spot on. Unfortunately for the scammer, my anti-virus, as well as myself, saw right through it!

suzukisue

OMG I get these calls at least once a week and I've even registered with the 'do not call' !! Apparently it doesn't stop lots of scam calls, so what's the point of it?

I usually play along with these callers, if I have time, and then let them know in no uncertain terms what I think of them before I hang up.
For the last 3 weeks I've been receiving calls from a so-called 'government organisation' claiming to be advising me about huge savings on installing solar. Now I'm not being at all racist when I say it, but all of these callers have an Indian accent, which probably means they are calling from overseas, therefore not legit.

I once had a call from the 'computer' scammers telling me that they were detecting errors etc and so I pretended to be really dumb. When they asked me to 'key in' certain things, I asked whether I should be hitting the white or black keys. When they asked me what I meant, I replied 'on my piano keyboard'!!
The caller was flabbergasted and I then laughed along and said 'you must think I really am stupid!' They promptly hung up!

MJ21

I get scams in my email box that say I have won $1000 dollars for a shop I love and then when I open the email it says enter for your chance to win. It's not fair..

Hartmut

Hi looklively ,

Alas, scammers and internet criminals are a dime a dozen these days.
And unfortunately they are getting more and more sophisticated in copying genuine companies, like banks, PayPal etc.
So I would advise to always check back to the real companies if some ask you for your account details; to fix an alleged fault or other reasons.
(but not via the link a fraud/scam e-mail may show of it) .

Never ever provide any details of your bank and other financial accounts details you may have. If in doubt, phone the bank/company (but again, do not use any phone number a fraud e-mail may show) .
Also if an e-mail says it has a deal of getting you money (often with ridiculously
high amounts) it is a certain fraud.

You can report any fraud attempt, or one you suspected to be one, to this Australian Government link: report@submit.spam.acma.gov.au

Be vigilant !
Cheerio, Hartmut :-)

Sandy

Received an email yesterday with a $20 e voucher for Starbucks. When I went to check it out my virus program shut down the comp. and wiped it, so must be a new scam.

Jon

I get them all the time, either on the phone or by emails. My favourite one is the "I'm from Microsoft help centre and I can see that your computer is not working properly". That's funny I say, I don't have a computer!. "Oh yes sir I think you do". Are you calling me a liar, well &*%$ you! A resounding click is generally heard. I now no longer listen for more that a few seconds before either hanging up or if I've been drawn away from some task, I will become rude or condescending. Scam emails get ditched pronto or forwarded onto the government "Report spam" department. With emails it's always good to check the source of the email, that's the best gauge as to it's bona fides.

leonewaau

I get them all the time, either on the phone or by emails. My favourite one is the "I'm from Microsoft help centre and I can see that your computer is not working properly". That's funny I say, I...

Like You, I've done the "Don't have a computer" line and.....
here's how the rest of the conversation went:-
Caller:- Your husband called us yesterday about his computer. Can you get him for me.
Me:- He's not here. How wonderful that he called you. Did he say how he was? Where did he call from?
Caller:- He didn't say, he just wanted the computer fixed. When will your husband be home?
Me:- I don't think he will ever be home again unless you know something about bringing the dead back to life after someone has been cremated. You see my husband died back on 2000.
Caller:- You f%#*en b!$*h.
He slammed the phone down on me.

I don't get any spam/scam emails into the Gmail account. Hotmail & Yahoo are a completely different matter. That's why I stopped using them ages ago. Did get this Prince sending lots of emails to Hotmail about there being a war, he's an orphan with all this money....... you all know the spiel.
Apparently I've won the English, Irish and European Lotteries a lot too. These all are unopened and reported as scam/spam. Everyone has given up sending these emails to me now.
If someone is NOT on my email address list then the email is NOT opened and just deleted as spam.

Have signed up to that "Do Not Call" website and renew the subscription every 2 years.
If I do get a phone call from someone selling something or asking for money, I just ask the person for all of their details so I can report them to the "Do Not Call" Government Ombudsman. They apologise and hang up. Haven't any calls for a long time now.
It does help that I'm not in the phone book (unlisted is a free service).

nuttydread

As I do surveys in my spare time, my spam seems to get a barrage of mail etc, but thats where I leave them, never open them, and I delete my spam daily. Every now and then, I get a international number ring through, but if I dont know the number, then I just dont answer, if its important, then they can leave me a message, and 99% of the time...no one leaves a message, which then leads me to believe that its just another scammer on the other end of the line. So my advice....Dont answer those international numbers, if its important, then they can leave a voicemail, and for the emails that you dont recognise...dont even open them, it pays to be safe!!

mikeleehm

I get the occasional email or call from promoters of banking industry that says free credit of $1000 with interest free. It sounds too good to be true and I always politely reject them.

anzacjay

I have received emails purporting to be from Telstra...It had their blue fan shaped logo and the only way I knew it was Scam was the fact they had not used my name...all mail either snail mail or email I get from Telstra starts with Dear Mrs Initial Surname, this letter didn't...I contacted Telstra and they told me to delete immediately and they would check my emails as I receive all my emails through Bigpond...I haven't received one since...Although I am on the Do Not Call register, I still receive phone calls from Overseas saying I was having problems with my computer and they can "fix" it for me....These I just hang up on...but I live in an Over 55's Retirement Village and some of the Residents have been caught out...

marktime

this one was sort of semi fair dinkum, a mob wanted to buy shares in a suspended company , at so many cents per share that part was ok but i became wary when the paper work arrived and you had to include drivers licence or passport photo. being pretty useless i don't have one and the other is out of date since i saw buffalo in Buffalo over 25 years ago. Also being hearing impaired i was too slow regards one that involved an airline i think where you had to press 1 Being a bit dopey is a help sometimes hey..

Trushka

A couple of weeks ago, a man rang and told me my ISP provider had informed him I was illegally downloading material from the internet. When I asked for his name and contact details to inform the police, he hung up. Another, when I said I was on the 'no not call' list, he told me if I paid him $3 he'd remove my name. My answering machine is on 24/7, and I monitor all calls.

Create

The answering machine's working for me. If I do answer and there is a pause - I just hang up. Earlier, I used to answer in another language, e.g. French or ? That really stops them in their tracks.

That's one I thought of :) telling them in broken English that I don't speak English, some of them are so hard to understand, I don't think they speak English either! lol

Grandma

Was the accident genuine at all?
A friend of ours was a plumber who was digging trenches on a vacant block of land. His wife got a phone call saying that he had a fall in the trench and was...

I've had a few of the calls about someone from our household being involved in a car accident. as both our children no longer live at home and neither my husband or I have had an accident I dismissed it a a scam call. I wasn't aware that it could have been a rouse to beak into our home.

It's definitely worth remembering though, thanks for the tip.

jjdrer

My husband answered the 'telstra' phone call and I was a bit panicked in case he followed the instructions. He kept them on the line telling them he didn't know much about his laptop (which he...

Was the accident genuine at all?
A friend of ours was a plumber who was digging trenches on a vacant block of land. His wife got a phone call saying that he had a fall in the trench and was injured. As she couldn't go as she had a very sick child in bed, she rang the Police explained her situation and asked if a Patrol Car in the area could check for her.
He was fine - no mishap at all. .....The Police then told her to be aware that there had been a spate of calls people were going to the alledged location and houses & business premises were being broken into.
My Mum got a call, alledgedly from work (I had been there for a few years) saying that I was sick amd it would only have been about 1/4hour after I started work. She had planned to go out that morning. She knew the name of the Accountant as he had just become my new boss and I had told her his name so that if I couldn't got to work for any reason she knew who to speak to.
She rang him and he was able to reassure her that I was fine, though I didn't find out until that night when I got home. She postponed her Dr. appt. to late afternoon instead of 9.00 in the morning. If the house was being watched somebody gave up by then.

Peter

A couple of weeks ago, a man rang and told me my ISP provider had informed him I was illegally downloading material from the internet. When I asked for his name and contact details to inform the...

What more can I add? I think we've got it all worked out now. Microsoft ring regularly, the e-mails from various banks and Optus and Telstra. In fact, I have received genuine e-mails that I thought were scams and I only realised when the bank actually sent me a letter by snail mail!

Trushka

My husband answered the 'telstra' phone call and I was a bit panicked in case he followed the instructions. He kept them on the line telling them he didn't know much about his laptop (which he...

The answering machine's working for me. If I do answer and there is a pause - I just hang up. Earlier, I used to answer in another language, e.g. French or ? That really stops them in their tracks.

Grandma

A couple of weeks ago, a man rang and told me my ISP provider had informed him I was illegally downloading material from the internet. When I asked for his name and contact details to inform the...

My husband answered the 'telstra' phone call and I was a bit panicked in case he followed the instructions. He kept them on the line telling them he didn't know much about his laptop (which he doesn't) but eventually got them a bit rattled. I now tell callers that I've contacted the AFP and my calls are being monitored. The last call was yesterday about the car accident that someone from my family had been involved in.
I must admit sometimes I feel like having a whistle next to phone and blowing it, but I don't want to send someone deaf. But it is very tempting

avesh

I have these all the time from funeral insurance companies - luckily I am young and have no fear about funeral insurance issues. I hate to speak to people generally on the phone in this regard to be sold something so I immediately act defensively.

Once a company wanted to offer my wife a family holiday to the USA to sign up to some insurance thing and we certainly don't listen to these phone calls. The words No Thank You - please don't bother us is regular when the phone calls come through.

Bigfoot

I have just had an e mail today from someone saying that they wished to put $2000, 000 into my bank account and I also have had the Telstra person telling me that my computer would be shutting down for 2 days---Yeh right.

Karsh

I too have had calls supposedly from Microsoft, I just tell them I can't afford a computer & they hang up. Recently though I have had a few through email, one was from a so called solicitor firm called Green & Fenwick, saying I had to appear in court, another was from Westpac bank, I don't deal with them, then there was Australia post telling me they had tried to deliver a parcel & to click a link to download a coupon to take into the Post Office. I learnt the hard way not to open any links, took my security 2 hours to clear all the virus's for me.

SareSare

I have received multiple emails from a "lawyer" stating I have lost a loved one and they need to let me know the funeral details or I have been summonsed to court. I don't think they could get much lower!

s

I am always receiving E-mails wanting bank details so that they can deposit money that a distant relative has left me in their will. I can recognise them now so don't open them.

I get similar emails asking for personal details as a person needs my help to access millions of dollars, almost begging me.

They also use past famous FBI leaders too.

They use all sorts of names some Reverend such & such to make them sound more genuine

I get spam everyday as someone has told me from spam that someone put my email address on the internet as someone looking for work from home.
So I get all types of spam.

I get some spam from Australian banks but I don't do online banking !!!!
as I don't feel it is safe enough and I have told my bank this when they have asked me.

Eugine

I have received multiple emails from a "lawyer" stating I have lost a loved one and they need to let me know the funeral details or I have been summonsed to court. I don't think they could get much...

I am always receiving E-mails wanting bank details so that they can deposit money that a distant relative has left me in their will. I can recognise them now so don't open them.

Liz

I have had calls like that here in Australia - did have one asking for husband and I told them he wasn't here and that I was his wife etc - then this woman told me he had promised to buy some item last week when she spoke to him. She quickly hung up when she was informed he had passed away 6 months prior. A neighbour had a similar call for her husband who had passed away 12 months before. Have had Telstra telling me the same thing- they hung up quickly when I told them I didn't have a computer - lol. Do know of some who got scammed and lost quite a bit of money. sometimes you have to come back with an answer of your own.

shaper

I have had my parents receive a phone call and asked to switch on there computer. They do not have a computer and the person ringing them started arguing with them and telling them that they do...

when this happens DO NOT ANSWER, put the phone down immediately and then hit the Hash key. It is a computer and when you answer the phone it then known s that someone is there at this time , by hitting the hash key it scrambles the phone no and they dont get you again.

s

I have had calls like that here in Australia - did have one asking for husband and I told them he wasn't here and that I was his wife etc - then this woman told me he had promised to buy some item...

I have had my parents receive a phone call and asked to switch on there computer. They do not have a computer and the person ringing them started arguing with them and telling them that they do have a computer.

Sometimes you answer the phone and you hear the noise in the call centre but nobody answers you and they hang up. This has happened to both me and my parents.

Maggie24

I've had emails from every "bank" not many phone calls though. I know it has nothing to do with the real companies so it doesn't affect my thought about the real companies. I just wish they would give up but it must work or surely they would have stopped by now.

saidtheredhead

Just last week I got an email from Westpac Bank. (supposedly). I was immediately suspicious as I have no financial services with this bank whatsoever. When I opened it, it said that I needed to change my online log-in information as the company had a virus that had leaked password information. How stupid do these people think we are? The URL wasn't highlighted in green, as most large organsations like Ebay and banks have.I have nothing against Westpac Bank as a result of this, but it makes me very concerned that these scammers are so sneaky and devious. The actual website looked JUST like the real Westpac online site.

coconuthead

I get the occasional email from "optus" about updating my details within 2 days or my account will be deactivated. I almost got caught the first time. I started filing in the form until I got to the question asking for my driver's license. I immediately deleted the information and changed my password.
I also have calls from "Microsoft" about my computer being infected by a virus. I told them I am a rich man and I just buy a new computer every time I have problems with viruses. He hung up on me.
Another scam is a phone call from "The Australian Finance Department" telling me that banks have overcharged me with fees. They were authorised to refund me $7500. I knew it was a scam so I told them the ATO has my bank details and to do a direct deposit. They hung on me again. Must be my phone manners.
I am never rude to them because they have my phone number and can make life difficult for me. If I am in the mood, I spin a story to get them to hang up on me.
I do check if the calls or emails are genuine. This means I am less trusting of the companies.
I subscribe to Scamwatch and I never give any details unless I make the initial contact.

Eugine

I had a call like that from someone pretending to be from Microsoft. They wanted remote access to my PC to do tests for viruses. I told them the computer wasn't on at the moment and hung up

They actually shouldn't be able to get past the "Don't call register". but they seem to be able to call anyone.

Eugine

I too have been getting phone calls from (supposedly) Microsoft telling me my computer has a fault. This has been going on for a couple of years and at one stage I got 30 calls in 30 days. I am...

I just tell them not to be idiotic or put the phone down. They can talk to the wall for as long as they like. I think we all need caller ID on our phones so that we can ignore them and just answer genuine calls from friends and family.

KittiCat

Hi Kevin3, They are always at it, they don't give up do they? They are stupid really. We have had 125 calls about the Government rebate on solar panels, we got our Solar Panels 4 years ago and now...

Funny you say that about Solar Panels. I got a call not too long ago from a company called Power Harvest, or Harvest Power. Anyway it transpired they wanted a copy of my Power Bill, so I strung them along promising to Email a copy. Honestly, these people must think we are stupid. Needless to say, I haven't Emailed that power bill

KittiCat

My sister strung them along saying she was at her computer when she hasn't even got the internet just to see what they carried on saying.

I had a call like that from someone pretending to be from Microsoft. They wanted remote access to my PC to do tests for viruses. I told them the computer wasn't on at the moment and hung up

frilly

As I am on the net every day doing surveys and answering emails etc I seem to get a lot, I also have an email address with Gmail that seems to get a huge amount of scam emails either from someone...

I wish they really had the money, their ears would really burn with me flying down the wire into their ears LOL I would volunteer my details they can deliver to me, I willingly will give that 10% they say they need to let the money come to me. I offered them 30% one time. I was left in the lurch . I was so hurt, I just did not understand??

frilly

I get the occasional email from "optus" about updating my details within 2 days or my account will be deactivated. I almost got caught the first time. I started filing in the form until I got to...

H,i if you are really concerned about some one having your phone number contact Telstra. They will put a genuine watch on your phone & make every attempt to catch the Caller. You have to be prepared for Telstra to be keeping a watch on all your calls but if you genuinely have a problem want it solved they will do it.
They will give yo a new number I would think I am not so sure about that.
I have had some one ring me at different times of the night & persist in ringing. It was terrible I had trouble sleeping anyway & Telstra were terrific, they did this for me & a neighbour.
Good Luck.
frilly

frilly

I get the occasional email from "optus" about updating my details within 2 days or my account will be deactivated. I almost got caught the first time. I started filing in the form until I got to...

H,i if you are really concerned about some one having your phone number contact Telstra. They will put a genuine watch on your phone & make every attempt to catch the Caller. You have to be prepared for Telstra to be keeping a watch on all your calls but if you genuinely have a problem want it solved they will do it.
They will give yo a new number I would think I am not so sure about that.
I have had some one ring me at different times of the night & persist in ringing. It was terrible I had trouble sleeping anyway & Telstra were terrific, they did this for me & a neighbour.
Good Luck.
frilly

Goulah

My sister strung them along saying she was at her computer when she hasn't even got the internet just to see what they carried on saying.

I too have been getting phone calls from (supposedly) Microsoft telling me my computer has a fault. This has been going on for a couple of years and at one stage I got 30 calls in 30 days. I am at the stage where I rarely answer my home phone now due to these scammers.

Sunshine8

My sister strung them along saying she was at her computer when she hasn't even got the internet just to see what they carried on saying.

My husband pretended to go along with them and after a while told them that he had had enough fun from their call. The scammer got very annoyed that my husband had wasted his time!!

Ingi

Hi, Ingi. I think your Indian/Pakistani bloke could be the same one who's been ringing me. I keep telling him that I haven't got a computer. I'm 83 and I'm not stupid either.

Hi Kevin3, They are always at it, they don't give up do they? They are stupid really. We have had 125 calls about the Government rebate on solar panels, we got our Solar Panels 4 years ago and now I just say harassement and they hang up.....Have a good day.

diann

Hi, Ingi. I think your Indian/Pakistani bloke could be the same one who's been ringing me. I keep telling him that I haven't got a computer. I'm 83 and I'm not stupid either.

My mother who is 74, led them on a big journey (mum has never, ever touched a computer, let alone own one) she had them guiding her through for nearly an hour (she does have too much time on her hands). In the end they hung up her her :)

Kevin3

Dear Kevin3, I get phone calls from Optus, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Bank to update my bank details and I am not with any of them also emails etc. saying that a rich relative of mine had died and left...

Hi, Ingi. I think your Indian/Pakistani bloke could be the same one who's been ringing me. I keep telling him that I haven't got a computer. I'm 83 and I'm not stupid either.

Ingi

As well as your three, I also have a bloke telling me I've got trouble with my computer - he's been trying for about 3 years. I also get the occasional email from a variety of banks. All this...

Dear Kevin3, I get phone calls from Optus, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Bank to update my bank details and I am not with any of them also emails etc. saying that a rich relative of mine had died and left me millions so I reply with my address which is also in the phone book just send me a bank cheque to my address and I will be very happy to receive the money, need I say I do not hear from them again, how dumb do they think I am? I also received from an Indian or Pakistan guy telling me to go to my computer and he would fix my "problems'' I told him politely where to go. I am 72 but I am not stupid.

Eugine

As well as your three, I also have a bloke telling me I've got trouble with my computer - he's been trying for about 3 years. I also get the occasional email from a variety of banks. All this...

My sister strung them along saying she was at her computer when she hasn't even got the internet just to see what they carried on saying.

shaper

I get the occasional email from "optus" about updating my details within 2 days or my account will be deactivated. I almost got caught the first time. I started filing in the form until I got to...

As I am on the net every day doing surveys and answering emails etc I seem to get a lot, I also have an email address with Gmail that seems to get a huge amount of scam emails either from someone offering me money (I have won/I am a beneficiary !!) or they are from my net server saying I need to update my account. .I NEVER EVER click on them or answer them. It is the only way you can go, ignore them and just delete. It is a shame that there are so many awful people out there all trying their best to get our money. If they put as much effort into working they would be very wealthy without having to do this kind of thin g.

Kevin3

I get the occasional email from "optus" about updating my details within 2 days or my account will be deactivated. I almost got caught the first time. I started filing in the form until I got to...

As well as your three, I also have a bloke telling me I've got trouble with my computer - he's been trying for about 3 years. I also get the occasional email from a variety of banks. All this scam rubbish has absolutely no effect on my opinions of the companies the scammers pretend to represent.

flo

I nearly got caught with Mystery shopper experience, I was given a cheque and told to go to a travel agent to cash it in and bank the bulk of the money into thier account, fortunately the travel agent was a bit wary of the cheque and rang someone and found out it was a scam.

KittiCat

KittiCat - it was sent to me as a survey from one of the sites I use regularly (I can't remember which one) it was listed as looking for a mystery shopper. I thought it was legitimate site because...

I get the Mystery Shopper links through popular sites too, such as the BigGiveaway. Even through sites such as Cashback you'll get links to these make $4000 - $5000 a month that take you to these Binary Trading sites

flo

I nearly got caught with Mystery shopper experience, I was given a cheque and told to go to a travel agent to cash it in and bank the bulk of the money into thier account, fortunately the travel...

KittiCat - it was sent to me as a survey from one of the sites I use regularly (I can't remember which one) it was listed as looking for a mystery shopper. I thought it was legitimate site because it came through a very popular survey site

KittiCat

I nearly got caught with Mystery shopper experience, I was given a cheque and told to go to a travel agent to cash it in and bank the bulk of the money into thier account, fortunately the travel...

Flo, did someone phone or text you about being a Mystery Shopper or did you go online?

godsbaby

I nearly got caught with Mystery shopper experience, I was given a cheque and told to go to a travel agent to cash it in and bank the bulk of the money into thier account, fortunately the travel...

Wow. Never heard of that before. Glad your details were kept safe.