Heritage Bank encourages people to remain scam savvy after Scam Awareness Week

20 August 2019

Scam Awareness Week may have been last week (12-16 August) but Heritage Bank is encouraging everyone to keep being scam savvy to avoid getting caught out.

In 2018, Australians lost over $489 million* to scammers, with over 378,000 scam reports received by government reporting agencies. 

Jane Calder, Heritage Bank Chief Product and Marketing Officer, said, “Whether it’s via the internet, through social media, mail, in person or over the phone, scammers are becoming increasingly more sophisticated in the methods they use to deceive and steal information and funds.”

“New scams are constantly emerging, and while many people believe they will never fall victim, we really want to encourage everyone to continue updating their ideas of what a scam is so they are less vulnerable.”

Here are examples of some scams to be aware of:

Remote access scams

You receive a call from a person who claims your computer is not secure or has a virus and they need remote access to solve it. Once they gain access to your computer, they will attempt to obtain personal information such as your bank account number, card numbers, passwords and PINs.

Security tip: Never give your personal information or credit card details over the phone. Don’t do anything without contacting the organisation on a number you obtain from the phone directory or an internet search to confirm details of the call.

Romance scams

Someone you know online, but have never met in person, asks you to send them money for something urgent. 

Security tip: Never send money someone you’ve met online, but haven’t in person. Scammers may attempt to stalk your profile in an attempt to seem as though they share your values and interests to make a quick match. Keep your social media privacy settings tied down to family and friends.

Phishing scams

You receive an email or text message claiming to come from Heritage Bank or link to Heritage internet banking and asking you to update your password or contact information. These emails or messages ask the recipient to click on a link which goes to a forgery of the Heritage Online website.  These fake websites are designed to capture personal information such as your Heritage member number, passwords and contact information.

Security tip: Do not click on links or respond to emails that ask for personal information, user names and passwords. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of an email or promotion, call the organisation directly to check whether or not any communications you receive are genuine.

“It’s really important to remember that scammers are professional businesses dedicated to ripping us off,” Ms Calder said.

“If you are ever concerned about the security of your account or suspicious about the legitimacy of any communication you receive, it’s really important to get in touch with Heritage as soon as possible.”

For more fraud and security tips click here.

* Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) 2018 Targeting scams report.