{"id":8096,"date":"2023-07-31T12:01:51","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T02:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adelaideprivatewealth.com.au\/what-to-do-if-youve-been-scammed\/"},"modified":"2023-07-31T12:01:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T02:31:51","slug":"what-to-do-if-youve-been-scammed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adelaideprivatewealth.com.au\/what-to-do-if-youve-been-scammed\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do if you’ve been scammed"},"content":{"rendered":"
Think you have been scammed? These steps will help you take action quickly to stop the scammers and limit the damage.<\/p>\n
Know that you are not alone and you can recover from this. There is support available, if and when you need it.<\/p>\n
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If you\u2019ve been scammed, follow these steps to take action.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t send any more money. Block all contact from the scammer.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Contact your bank or financial institution immediately to report the scam. Ask them to stop any transactions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Warn your family and friends about the scam, so they can watch out for potential follow up scams.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
If you\u2019ve paid a scammer<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve paid a scammer in any of these ways, here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n Credit\/debit card<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam. Ask them to stop any transactions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Gift card<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Report it to the company who issued the card.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Wire transfer<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Report it to the wire transfer company or bank that you used.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Money transfer app<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Report it to the app provider (the seller or developer, not the app store).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Crypto<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Report it to the platform or company you used to send the money. Cryptocurrency may not be recoverable.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cash<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 If you sent by mail or delivery service, contact Australia Post or the delivery service used to see if they can intercept the package.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Unauthorised transfer<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 If a scammer has transferred money without your approval, report it to your bank straight away. Ask them to freeze your accounts and transactions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n If a scammer has your personal information<\/strong><\/p>\n For example, if your personal details (like name, phone, email, address, identity documents) have been leaked in a data breach. Here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n Report the data breach to your financial institutions<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Let your bank, super fund and any other financial services know.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Contact IDCARE<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Call 1800 595 160 (Monday to Friday, 8am\u20135pm). They can help you make a plan (for free) to limit the damage.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Create a new, stronger password<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Make sure you haven\u2019t used it before. If you\u2019ve used the leaked password anywhere else, update it there too.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Watch out for suspicious contact<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Look for suspicious emails, phone calls, texts or messages through social media. Block or don\u2019t answer anyone you don\u2019t know. Don\u2019t click on any links.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Monitor your bank account<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Keep a close watch on your bank account for any unauthorised transactions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Monitor your credit report<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Request a\u00a0temporary ban<\/a>\u00a0on your credit report to ensure no unauthorised loans or credit applications can be made.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n For more tips, see\u00a0identity theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n If a scammer has accessed your computer or phone\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A scammer pretends to be from your internet or phone provider. They say you have a technical problem and ask for access to your device. Then they infect it with a virus, to steal your passwords and financial information. Here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n If they accessed your computer<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Update your security software and run a scan for viruses. Delete anything identified as a problem and reset your passwords.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If they accessed your phone or phone account<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Report it to your phone provider. Update your security software and run a scan for viruses. Change your passwords or pins, block scam calls and consider changing your phone number.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n You could also get an IT professional to check your devices in-person.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been caught up in a scam, you may be targeted in a follow-up scam. Hang up the call, or block emails or text messages, if someone:<\/p>\n offers to swap your investment for another one to recover your losses<\/p>\n<\/li>\n tells you to \u2018hang in there\u2019 as your investment will increase in value soon<\/p>\n<\/li>\n offers to buy your shares at a premium but asks you to pay a fee to have \u2018restrictions\u2019 on the shares lifted<\/p>\n<\/li>\n asks you to pay a fee for a fake share certificate<\/p>\n<\/li>\n claims they can recover your losses for a percentage of the recovered losses or for a fee they say is a \u2018tax\u2019, \u2018deposit\u2019, \u2018retainer\u2019 or \u2018refundable insurance bond\u2019<\/p>\n<\/li>\n asks you to pay for travel and accommodation costs to find the scammer who has taken your money<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n These are all tricks scammers use to get more money from you.<\/p>\n Report any scams to your bank or financial institution straight away to avoid losing any more money. You may not be able to get your money back once it\u2019s been paid to a scammer. But reporting it will help stop them scamming someone else.<\/p>\n Agencies use the information you give to build cases against scammers. They also educate the public and share data about what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been targeted by a scammer, report it to:<\/p>\n\n
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Watch out for follow up scams<\/h3>\n
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Help to stop the scam<\/h3>\n