If you get a text requesting emergency help ...

A scam that is 'doing the rounds' is one that my husband received a few weeks ago. He got a text in the middle of the night requesting urgent help, from a number that he didn't recognise. Thinking it might be from his elderly parents or someone texting on their behalf, he called the number when he saw it first thing the next day.

When his call connected, he was met with a tirade of abuse that just went on and on and on. He put his phone on speaker so that I could hear it too. It was bizarre and seemed to be on a loop, never ending.

A recent article I saw highlighted that he is not the only one who has received this text and the resulting abusive call. Here's the article: An 'Emergency' Text Message Scam Happening Right Now

So, if you get a text message like this, please don't send a return text or call the number. It doesn't seem to be resulting in any money loss or compromising of anything, but it very unpleasant nonetheless.

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Other recent phone scams

It feels like the number of scam calls I receive every day is increasing. And the new trend is for these calls to be a recorded message telling me 

• There are court cases filed against me
• I have a tax debt and they are coming after me
• My internet is about to be disconnected
• I must connect to NBN within 24 hours or be disconnected
• My internet has been compromised

and that I need to press one to connect to an operator who can help me resolve my issue (and stay out of jail!).

These calls tend to sound a bit more 'authentic' because they sound 'official', and are not from someone I can barely understand. Unfortunately, many vulnerable people will get caught out by them.

So please trust no-one who calls you and tells you that must do something immediately to solve some made-up problem.

Your internet provider will not call you to force you to connect to NBN. No-one is monitoring your computer and finding problems with it. The ATO would send you a letter if there was some issue with your tax.

You will never be asked to pay any fine, fee or debt in Bitcoin or iTunes cards! If asked to give credit card or banking details over the phone, always stop and think about whether there is the chance this could be a scam - and stop the call if you have any doubts.

It is better to be safe than sorry, and a legitimate business will understand if you need further verification of the business' identity before proceeding. If the person you are talking to becomes insistent and aggressive, you can be certain that you are being scammed - so hang up straight away.

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And the never-ending stream of email scams

My Junk mail and Inbox receive SO MANY scams every day. Most are easy to detect, but I received one last night that is a really impressive fake version of a legitimate email.

If you own a business, beware of a particular good fake email from ASIC, especially at business name renewal time.

In the images below, the left image is a scam and the right image is legitimate. In the scam email, it is only the button that is the problem, taking you to a fake website. The other links take you to valid ASIC pages, making the email look more authentic. 

The 'dead giveaway' for this one was that the 'from' email address was bizarre (as shown below).

Once again, my message to readers is to be very suspicious of ANY email that asks you to click on a link or contains an attachment. My attitude is the trust no emails until I can ascertain that they are absolutely and definitely legitimate

Recent news about scams, security and privacy

Here are the most recent articles iTandCoffee has curated on the topic of scams, privacy and security.

• ​7 security tips to stop apps from stealing your data - CNET
• One wrong click, and a criminal can access your phone. Here's what to do when it happens to you - ABC News
• Car crash scam targets vulnerable Aussies - news.com.au
• Hacker who stole 620 million records strikes again, stealing 127 million more - TechCrunch
• Google insists it's doing what it can to purge the Play Store of malicious apps - Digital Trends
• Behold, the Facebook phishing scam that could dupe even vigilant users - Ars Technica
• Google is trying to keep your password safe from hackers - Fox News
• What's the best VPN service for iOS? - 9to5Mac
• Are you comfortable with Amazon controlling your smart home?
• Crime syndicate hacks 15,000 medical files at Cabrini Hospital, demands ransom

Need help?

If you ever need help with issues relating to scams, security or privacy - or with sorting out the aftermath of being scammed - contact iTandCoffee to make an appointment, on 1300 885 420, or book online at Appointments.