One of the easiest ways to trick a person is to make them feel something — whether that is fear or shock. “Warrant for your arrest”, “expired Visa”, “large transaction authorised”, “parcel delivery failure”, are some examples. These scams aim to quickly put you in an action state. The more worried you are or urgent the action is, the less likely you are to have time to check that everything is legitimate.

With Christmas coming closer, parcel delivery scams are on the rise. Track your parcels through the original email, or receipt if you’re the sender, directly on the related website and cross-check any unexpected text first with the vendor.

Scammers are also using the Optus and Medibank hacks to pretend to be from a refund or data recovery agency. Before taking any action, consult with the related entity yourself. This also gives you the chance to update your information, update your password, and check on the status of your information.

We’re always happy to help. If you’d like further advice, or would like to add to this story, please email cybertech@rvn.com.au.

The Australian Government Scamwatch site is a good resource for identifying and reporting scams.

Though there is little we can offer at this early stage in terms of resolution recommendations, we are able to offer advice to you if required, so please feel free to reach out via our support email, cybertech@rvn.com.au, or via phone during regular business hours.