Interview Highlight: Crimestoppers

Welcome to another conversation with Crime Stoppers Victoria. Lexie Jeuniewic joins Vision Australia Radio's Peter Greco to discuss crime issues affecting the community and sharing information that helps keep you safe.

This episode focuses on phishing scams online, by phone or social media. Anyone can fall victim to scams that can be used to lure in unsuspecting people into revealing sensitive personal information or indeed money.

Learn more here:

Scamwatch

Crimestoppers Victoria

1800 333 00

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

S1 (00:01):
Welcome to this podcast made possible by Vision Australia Radio.
Your community radio station is it via radio dot org
for more information on Vision Australia radio and our podcasts

S2 (00:13):
or if you're listening last month on. We caught up
with Lexi Generate from Crime Stoppers to speak to Lexi
every couple of months on leisurely and every couple of
months on focal point and the saving its focal points.
Ted and Lex is on the line. Lexi, love to
catch up with you again.

S3 (00:28):
Wonderful to catch up with you too, Peter. Aren't we
clever going across to program as it's excellent stuff.

S2 (00:34):
We are very bright. We are very, very clever. Very well.
Well to your superiority. This is a very important topic fishing,
but not as we might think is fishing.

S3 (00:45):
That's exactly right, Peter. I was, you know, I'm a
bit of a joke with my jokes, but I always
think it sounds really fun because it's fishing is in,
you know, it might sound like the fishing we do
over somewhere and eight year round if you have a
really keen fisherman or woman. But phishing scams with the
pitch referred to a really insidious scam that happens online

(01:07):
and also by phone right across Australia and indeed the world.

S2 (01:11):
What happens because it doesn't matter. You might think, Oh,
I'm not on the internet or I don't have a smartphone,
but that doesn't mean you farmer doesn't know.

S3 (01:20):
That's exactly right, Peter. So phishing is it really kind
of is an umbrella term for a really common scam
that can be used to lure in unsuspecting people into
handing valuable personal information or indeed money that can be
conducted by phone call, text, email and even on social media.
And how it works is that scammers often claim to

(01:43):
be a reputable from a reputable company, whether it be
your bank or another organisation. And what they do is
they convince their target to verify or update personal details
such as bank account numbers, passwords or other information that's personal.
And then these details can be used to snatch your
money and in some cases, actually lead to identity theft,

(02:06):
which is a very, very serious problem.

S2 (02:08):
And I noticed in some of the information you've sent,
I mean, we talk about money, we're talking about billions
of dollars that people can lose over a period of time.

S3 (02:19):
That's exactly right. In fact, I mean, these are all estimates.
But last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Scamwatch
estimates that Australians lost close to four million dollars to
this scam alone, which is a staggering amount and really
quite extraordinary. And they found that through their studies, that

(02:41):
men were mainly tied in it, which is it's it's
really awful. No matter how old you are or what
gender you are. Anyone can fall victim to these kinds
of scams, so it's really important that people know about
them and indeed follow some of our tips to protect themselves.

S2 (02:58):
We'll get to them in a second. I guess the
other thing is with something like this is that they
might be people that are scammed and don't admit it.
So in a sense, it's probably a hidden number. That's
a form that it could be, you know, many times
that you

S3 (03:10):
are very right paid out with scams. It doesn't matter
if it's phishing scams or any any kind of scam, really.
There is an element of shame that comes with it
if you are a victim. But we're really wanting to
empower people to not feel ashamed if they become or
fall victim to a scam because they're really smart cybercriminals

(03:31):
and really smart people can fall prey to them. It's
not just people who aren't internet savvy or or, you know,
don't know what they're doing with their smartphone. It can
really be anyone. So a really important thing is that
if you are scammed, don't be afraid to talk about it.
Whether it be to an authority figure or two and

(03:52):
just a family or friend, it's really important to share
your story. And potentially that can be a really good
way of protecting other people

S2 (04:00):
because this is just sort of kids or geeks. Maybe,
you know, playing tricks. I mean, this is why I'm
assuming some of this can be very, very well organised
crime gangs, definitely right.

S3 (04:09):
And often times they are based offshore in terms of
that's how they kind of trap their victims. So we'll
have a set up overseas and then go about finding
their victims in Australia and calling them. They've got very,
very smart methods that boggles my mind. The tricky thing is,
I think with scammers is they constantly changing their tact

(04:32):
in terms of what kind of scams they they kind
of run and how they with their victims. I know
with phishing scams, sometimes the emails can be about package
deliveries or it can be. I know during COVID times,
there was some coded scams going around where they get
you to verify your details through the guise of being
a COVID related, I guess, call out for information. But

(04:55):
it wasn't. In fact, it was just another scam so
really important to. Stay abreast of what's happening in the
world and indeed what potential scams these people could be using,

S2 (05:07):
some of those people say, Look, I only give my
number to my kids and to give our number to
my very close friends. I don't give my number anyone,
but I still get these calls. How can that happen?

S3 (05:16):
Well, I think, I guess without going into the technical
side of things, I think, you know, with us using
our mobile phones for everything from searching where the nearest
best restaurant is or using it to all cars or
online shopping, we are constantly logged on. And whether we
like it or not, you know, our data is constantly

(05:37):
being used by companies and sometimes it can fall into
the wrong hands. So I think in many cases this
is how people will get those random calls that they
have gotten. Their data somehow, unfortunately sent off to the
wrong people, and it's just about a lot. So I
think unfortunately in the moment, it's just very much about,

(05:59):
you know, us staying aware of where we're giving our
numbers to, but also being aware that if we do
get a phone call to kind of just pause and think, Hey,
was expecting this phone call, or maybe I should get
them to call me back if they if they're really,
you know, a legitimate company or organization.

S2 (06:20):
I've had calls like this and I said, Look, give
me your number, I'll call you back just to prove
this is legit.

S3 (06:27):
Exactly right. And that's one of our really, I guess,
if you call it Peter, getting the company to call
you back for doing you getting their number and you
giving them a call back, that can be a really
good way of trying to verify if they are a
legitimate company. Or I'd say they are

S2 (06:45):
about some other tips. So that's one, and they ask
for their number. If they don't want to give it
to you, then that raises a red flag.

S3 (06:53):
Exactly right. And we really recommend never providing personal details
such as credit card information or online account information to
the caller if if they're claiming to be from your
bank or other another organization and, as you said, ask
for their name, ID number, give them a call back
or check with the organization independently. Another really important one

(07:16):
is that if you do have access to a smartphone
or you are using a computer. Avoid clicking on links
or attachments that have been sent and asked for your
personal details, especially if you weren't expecting them to really
be aware of spelling or medical errors in texts or
emails claiming to be from a reputable company. That's a
really big red flag that you could be dealing with

(07:38):
someone or indeed something that is a phishing scam. If
it's got all sorts of errors throughout it, it's very
unlikely to have come from a reputable organization

S2 (07:49):
because often, you know, some of the telcos, even the
bank saying We won't be, we won't ring you for
your details. That's not the way we operate. So if
your bank says that to you and then you get
a call saying, this is your bank, well, that's not
adding up isn't exactly right.

S3 (08:06):
Peter and I know we were talking about almost doing
a reverse call on the person that has called you,
but a great way to check if the text or
the email is legitimate. If you are using that kind
of technology is to do a Google search of the
text inside the email or phone message. If it's a scam,

(08:26):
there might be a reference to it on a website
such as Scamwatch. So there could be some great resources
out there on the internet at the moment that kind
of identify common scams. So this is a really good
wider changes do a reverse reverse kind of search on
that text in that phone message, your end date email
because

S2 (08:45):
this scam, which is a government run, is in fact
very legit, very much. You know, it can be trusted.

S3 (08:51):
That's exactly right. And we at Crimestoppers always reference that
is a really good resource because obviously we deal with
all sorts of crime prevention, including cybercrime. But the agent
will say Scamwatch is a wonderful resource and constantly being
updated with up to against current scams. And what kind

(09:12):
of if you want to call it, trending on the
internet and phone calls at the moment. For these cybercriminals,

S2 (09:20):
criminals, people got messages back on their mobile phones, you know,
maybe even message back around through machines that I think
some people still admit they were a little bit old
fashioned like I am a ring and don't leave a message.
Is that a bit of a clue as well?

S3 (09:34):
I think so, Peter. I mean, all these rules that
we are referencing today, they're not hard and fast. I mean,
they will sometimes be exceptions. But as a general rule
of thumb, if you're getting a message and it sounds
like a robot on the other end of a smile
has been left by something that sounds like you wouldn't
expect it to definitely do that independent check with the

(09:58):
organization that. Claims to have come from, for example, if
I got a voicemail from my bank and I'm with
no bank vehicle combined, I could either visit the branch
or give them a call on the number that provided
me to just to say hello. Did you call me
at 4pm on March that if they say no, we didn't,

(10:20):
we don't need anything from me, then you've pretty much
worked out that that quote was a scam. So it's
very much even though it might seem like a bit
of a pain doing your own independent checks. It's really
important because it means you can protect yourself from getting
scammed and losing your hard earned money

S2 (10:38):
and just the stress of it. I mean, even, you know,
I mean, I know people can report it quickly can
maybe get their card stopped. So, you know, not too
much damage can be done with it, for example, but
just the stress and the hassle of having to go
through all that sort of stuff is, you know, you
can't even put a price on that, let alone the
money that might be taken from you.

S3 (10:59):
You're very up here. I mean, I think many of
us time and again unfortunately have kind of misplaced a
driver's license or a credit card and and people know
the pain or if it's been stolen in the past
of getting it replaced, it's all, you know, valuable time
that you could be spending doing other things and you
don't want to go through the pain. And I think

(11:20):
in very much, many cases, emotional pain, too, it can
be a really awful feeling to know that someone has
your personal details or or has your cash. It's exactly
like a, I guess, having a home robbed, but in
a very much 21st century way, that's for sure.

S2 (11:38):
And if it's your parent or, you know, an elderly
neighbour or whatever, I mean, you know, again, you know
that they're trying to just get about their lives day
to day. They don't need this sort of stress or
interruptions that sort of mess up their time. So know,
I mean, I can affect anyone, but all the people,
I guess, know, maybe because it's a bit of a

(11:58):
21st century crime, something what the hell's going on here?

S3 (12:00):
Exactly, right? Well, the thing is too, it might seem
like a simple tip, but phishing scams, the most commonly
common story age bracket targeted by this kind of scam
was over sixty five. So it could just be, which
is really interesting because I think, as I say, it
can affect all age groups. But the over 65s the

(12:21):
most targeted. So I think it goes without saying that
a simple conversation with a family member or friend about
what to look out for and sharing some of the
information we've talked about today could really help protect a
loved one from falling victim to the saga. So very
much just a phone call to the more, you know,
just over a cup of tea or, you know, a

(12:42):
nice little walk or chat could make all the difference.

S2 (12:45):
And obviously, if people do suspect that something is happening
or they've been had for the want of a better term,
then a code or Crimestoppers. So I guess if you
can sort of collect a bit of a trend or,
as you say, a bit of a no idea of
how things are shaping up in the setting there, that
can probably provide a lot of clues that might be
out to track people down.

S3 (13:04):
Exactly what Peter and I think in terms of what
people should do if they've fallen victim to a scam.
It's really important to contact your bank or financial institution
immediately if you think you've handed over money to a cybercriminal.
You can also make a report to the age group
will say Scamwatch website, and that's where they kind of

(13:25):
get all that information about how many reports were made
and through sharing what's happened to you. You can help
protect other people, which is really important. And we've also
got some really good information about how to protect yourself
from cyber criminals on the Crimestoppers great website. So quite
a few key resources there, but I think really valuable

(13:45):
ones too

S2 (13:46):
will give us your website that we have a lot
of territory, but I think there's been a lot of
good information there and hopefully our listeners are going to
be a scam. But if they are, they've got a
little bit of an idea of what steps they can take.

S3 (13:59):
Absolutely, Peter. So it's w WW dot Crimestoppers week dot
com donate. That's W WW dot Crimestoppers dot com Lexie.

S2 (14:10):
Good to catch up again. We'll speak next month.

S3 (14:12):
Always a pleasure, Peter. Thank you so much.

S2 (14:14):
Lexi Genuity speaking to us from Crime Stoppers Victoria.

S1 (14:18):
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