How can I avoid being scammed?
Below are some tips to help keep you safer from online scams.
- If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Do some research. If you're not sure about an offer, see if it is listed on the ScamWatch section of the Consumer Affairs website, or do a search on the internet. If you don't find anything, that doesn't mean it's legitimate, you should still be careful.
- If you do not recognise an email address and did not request an email (e.g. you may have emailed an organisation requesting information), be cautious.
- Banks and other professional sites such as TradeMe will never ask for your account details via email.
- Don't trust confirmation of payment which comes via email. Always check directly with your bank, or the organisation that is holding the funds, by contacting them on a phone number or email address that you know is genuine.
- Some emails will have an option to unsubscribe. Clicking this will alert the sender that your email address is active which may cause you to be specifically targeted. It is best to simply delete them.
- Many of these emails contain spyware or viruses within files attached to the email. If you do not recognise the sender, or you receive an unsolicited email from an organisation, e.g. a bank, do not open any attachments.
- If you have opened an attachment, make sure that you run a virus and spyware scan. Having an up to date virus and spyware scanner are two of the Net Basics - to learn more about the Net Basics, click here.
- Don't follow links in unsolicited emails. The text in the link may look legitimate but can actually lead you to a phoney website, and can allow malicious software to be downloaded onto your computer. It is safer to type the website address yourself.
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