Walcha Police Sergeant Anthony Smith said there had been some reports of phishing scams recently, and he is urging the community to report any suspicious contact via email or telephone to the police.
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Phishing scams are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving out personal information such as your bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers. A scammer contacts you out of the blue pretending to be from a legitimate business such a bank, telephone or internet service provider. You may be contacted by email, social media, phone call, or text message.
The recent reports received by Sgt Smith involved the use of both telephone and computer with the victim watching his computer screen as the perpetrator accessed the computer remotely to prove their legitimacy.
“The most recent one was a case where the scammer said the victim had $8,000 deposited into their bank account in error and the money needed to be transferred back,” said Sergeant Smith.
“They emailed a bank statement showing this to the victim who gave his account details but fortunately, thought better of it and contacted his bank.”