With the upcoming federal election, the Customer Owned Banking Association is urging Australians to be alert against scammers.
“Election periods are an opportunistic time for scammers due to heightened public interest and sense of urgency, and the only way to truly protect yourself is to be vigilant with any type of unsolicited contact – even if it looks legitimate,” COBA Head of Financial Crimes and Cyber Resilience Martin Latimer said.
“We anticipate a rise in scammers targeting voters, falsely requesting personal information for purported electoral roll updates. We also often see a rise in text messages or emails claiming to be from candidates, encouraging you to click on a link to learn more, which can download malicious software onto your device,” he added.
Phishing scams are designed to obtain your personal information or get you to click on malicious links. The scammer’s goal is to obtain personal information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details.
Scammers often impersonate trusted entities including official government agencies, targeting individuals through emails, phone calls, or text messages. The emails and websites they use are designed to look legitimate, often mirroring the branding and logos of the companies or institutions they’re imitating.
They also often use urgent language including ‘Immediate action required’ or ‘Failure to Vote penalty warning’ to pressure targets into acting quickly without thinking.
“Never click on links in unsolicited text messages or emails, and don’t open attachments from unknown senders – they may contain malware,” Martin advised.
“Even when a message seems to originate from a reliable source, do not rely on the provided contact details. Instead, separately access the organisation’s official website and confirm the sender’s information there,” he added.
If you have been scammed or encounter a scam, report it to ScamWatch.gov.au to help protect others. Always remember to ‘Stop. Check. Protect’.
Customer-owned banks are dedicated to safeguarding their customers from scams and fraud. Find out more about the banking industry’s Scam-Safe Accord here, an initiative that represents a united front against scammers and reinforces the banking sector’s determination to strengthen consumer protection.