Co-founders Quentin Marsh and Shendon Ewans originally came up with the idea for Gobbill in a local pub. The initial concept was to help people pay bills on time.
However, when Shendon’s father fell victim to an email scam and lost his savings, Shendon and his brother Simon (a software engineer with Gobbill) took action. Email scams are rapidly increasing across Australia and around the world. Gobbill has now built in extra fraud protection and offers a solution for those looking to protect themselves from potential email scams.
October 10th, 2017 Posted by GobbillAlerts, Internet Safety, Staysmartonline
0 thoughts on “ACCC reports online scam losses total nearly $37 million so far in 2017. 45 to 54 y/o most likely to lose money.”
This Stay Smart Online Week (9-13 October), the ACCC is warning the community to watch out for common online scams they might encounter.
The online sphere – email, the internet, social media and mobile apps – has overtaken telephones as scammers’ preferred tool of the trade to contact potential victims. In 2017, the ACCC’s Scamwatch site has received more than 51,000 reports of scammers trying to con people online. Online scam losses total nearly $37 million so far in 2017, with people aged 45 to 54 most likely to lose money.
“It’s difficult to spot a scammer online these days as they go to great lengths to trick the public and steal personal information and money,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
The top three scams that people are most likely to encounter online are:
Phishing – often delivered via email, scammers will pretend to be from well-known businesses and government departments to con unsuspecting victims out of their personal information and money. For example they might say they’re from Apple and you need to reset your password for security reasons, or they may offer you a gift voucher to a major supermarket for completing a ‘survey’.
False billing – scammers will pretend to be from a utility provider such as your phone or energy company and send you a fake bill. These scams can be very hard to pick as the fake bills scammers send look authentic.
Buying and selling – scammers will trick people who are looking to buy or sell goods online. For example, they may set up a fake online store that sells well-known brands at seemingly too-good-to-be-true prices; or they may set up a fake listing on a classifieds website.
Ms Rickard said there are some simple techniques members of the public can employ to avoid being stung by a scammer online.
“While scammers are often after your money, they’re also trying to steal your personal information, which is just as valuable. It’s important to safeguard your personal details online the same way you would your wallet,” Ms Rickard said.
“If you’re ever contacted out of the blue, particularly via email, by someone asking you to pay a bill, complete a survey or update your passwords, it pays to be sceptical. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
“If you’re unsure about the legitimacy of something online like a store, classified listing or email you receive, do you own research as others who have been stung by scammers will often post warnings for others. There are also plenty of very useful tips and advice at www.scamwatch.gov.au to avoid being stung by online scams,” Ms Rickard said.
If you’re working to a tight budget, you could save hundreds or even thousands by changing your everyday household service providers. With rising electricity prices, now more than ever it’s time to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible. Is that 10% off an an actual saving or are there hidden costs? Does the price include uneccessary extras? Do the research and you could be rewarded.
Mr. David Baybrooke spoke to Gobbill about how he avoided high electricity prices simply by shopping around. “I switched electricity providers and saved $178 per quarter,” he stated. “I changed from Origin to AGL. A substantial saving there!”
“Shopping around for the best prices is an absolute must I think. On a reduced income, I find price comparison essential!”
Advice for Gobbill users?
“Online research,” says David. “Always looking for great deals! I’ve been looking at Big Switch and I’ve also been helped by a comparison service to find the best rates. Lots of effort put in.”
If you have shopped around and saved Share it with us here:[email protected]
Want to learn more?
Read our blog on how to get the most from your billers here.
Want to dispute a bill? Low on cash towards the end of the month? Too late, your account has already been debited. While direct debit can save you the hassle of bill payments, being locked into fixed automated payments can also get you into trouble.
With direct debit, billers don’t need to contact you or ask for permission before withdrawing funds. This gives a third party control over payments, potentially leaving you with extra fees or bills for products you no longer use. So, if you’re thinking about setting up a direct debit, make sure you understand the pros and cons. Read our article about direct debits.
Ms. Ocea Smith spoke to the Gobbill team about her bad experience with direct debit. “I find it frustrating when it comes to direct debit and there’s a public holiday…The trouble I had was with Vodafone, who direct debited from my account on the 5th of every month. A while back it was taken early due to a public holiday and I didn’t transfer in time.
Sometimes they [billers] decide to deduct early while others wait for the closest business working day. I really wish they would confirm so I can be sure my end is all okay. All I would need to do is transfer between my accounts. Instead I’ve been caught with fees for bounced payments.…So I received a dishonour fee from my bank of $40! I complained to my bank and it was revoked, which was great.”
Do you have a horror story about direct debit? Share it with us here:[email protected]
EnergyAustralia is being impersonated by cyber criminals in a malware campaign reports IDG ARN. EnergyAustralia has become the second local energy provider caught up in a major email phishing scam after a “large volume” of malicious emails recently began hitting Australian inboxes, according to email security company, MailGuard.
The Melbourne-based company said the realistic-looking email masquerades as an invoice from the energy company, advising customers that the invoice is due in the coming days. Read more at ARN. EnergyAustralia has also issued their own warnings of the fake bills and provided advice to check on the source/sender of the email. Read more at EnergyAustralia.
Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) has today issued a high priority alert to beware of the same ransomware disrupting organisations globally, including the UK’s National Health Service.
What can you do? Keep safe by applying software updates and backing up your data regularly. Use Gobbill to check and pay your email bills. You don’t need to know if it’s a fake bill and you don’t need to click on any links. Simply forward the email to your own @gobbill.com email address and it’s taken care for you. Read more gobbill.com.au
Last week, hackers used tools believed to have been developed by the US National Security Agency which has infected tens of thousands of computers in nearly 100 countries, disrupting Britain’s health system and global shipper FedEx. Australian Cyber Security Centre is tracking the attack campaign which goes by various names including WannaCry. It leverages known vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows patched since March 2017 making this disruption and impact preventable.
ACORN reports that they are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
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New Gobbill users can sign up for a FREE account at gobbill.com.au.
Ransomware is malicious software that makes data or systems unusable until the victim makes a payment. In this case, cyber extortionists tricked victims into opening malicious malware attachments to spam emails that appeared to contain invoices, job offers, security warnings and other legitimate files reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
About ACORN.
ACORN provides information on how to recognise and avoid common forms of cybercrime, such as hacking, online scams, online fraud, identity theft, attacks on computer systems and illegal or prohibited content, as well as offering advice to those who have fallen victim.
According to the ACCC, increasing numbers of Australians are encountering—and losing money to—scams on social media. If you use social media, we encourage you to be particularly alert for dating and romance scams and fake trader scams. … financial losses that are usually impossible to recover. Here are some tips from ACCC’s ScamWatch [http://bit.ly/2pEshwY] on how to protect yourself.
For businesses, the ATO says – don’t give fraudsters a chance. It’s a timely reminder to review all information security practices in your business, including storage of client information and taking stock of who has access to your systems. Implementing a few simple practices can save you money and stress. Read the ATO’s Top cyber security tips for business [http://bit.ly/2pqH5UG].
A hoax Origin Energy bill loaded with dangerous spyware has targeted tens of thousands of Australians. The well-crafted email branded with the energy provider’s official logo claimed to be an electricity bill for varying amounts, with one sighted by Fairfax Media as high as $911. Source: The Age. Read more
Scammers are continuing to target Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Registry customers with fake emails that attempt to obtain money and personal information. ASIC has posted on its website an example of a scam email that claims to come from the ‘ASIC Messaging Service’ and has the subject line ‘Renewal’. The fake message appears to come from a credible email address.
The email text directs recipients to click on a link to obtain information about renewing their business or company name. However, clicking on the link risks infecting the recipients’ computer with malicious software that aims to extract money or sensitive data, or directs the recipient to a fake invoice for payment.
ASIC warns its customers to be wary of emails that do not address them by name, misspell their details and incorporate unknown attachments.
Gobbill is a partner of StaySmartOnline, a Commonwealth initiative to help protect Australian citizens and businesses from cyber related crimes.
April 11th, 2017 Posted by GobbillAlerts, Internet Safety
0 thoughts on “A ‘huge batch’ of fake MYOB invoices is spreading malware”
A large number of emails pretending to be invoices generated out of MYOB — but actually containing links to dangerous malware — reportedly started circulating this week. Source: Business Insider Australia
