The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is warning the public that a recent spate of hoax emails have been sent out advising people they are entitled to $400.
The email claims that ACCC action against a scammer resulted in an order to pay $195,000. It goes on to state that individuals are entitled to $400 and need to ring a +009180133XXXXX number.
“This is clearly a fake email that relies upon the public trust in the organisation it pretends to represent,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“It is yet another variation of the reclaim scam that sees scammers claim to represent the Government, a bank or some other trusted organisation and offer refunds, grants or other monies.”
“If you are contacted out of the blue and told that you are entitled to money in exchange for an upfront fee, delete it – if you hand over your money, it’s gone.”
The email attempts to capitalise on the legitimate ACCC web address but it is in fact a gmail address "ACCC GOV_AU" <acccgovau@gmail.com>. Do not respond to this link or the telephone number.
Remember, government departments will never contact you asking you to pay money upfront in order to claim a fee or rebate.
Never send money or give your financial details to someone you don’t know and trust – it’s rare to recover money from a scammer.
If you think you have provided your bank account or credit card details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
Consumers can find out about the latest scams by visiting www.scamwatch.gov.au or following us @scamwatch_gov.