Telstra issues warning on scam emails
Telstra is warning Australians to be wary of the latest string of sophisticated scam emails asking for sensitive or personal information.
Telstra's Officer of Internet Trust and Safety, Darren Kane, said Telstra had received several reports from customers concerned about emails which in some cases requested customers to enter personal information into a malicious website.
"It's unsettling to hear of our customers being misled in this way and we encourage customers to double check the account number on all utility bills with their existing information to ensure they're authentic," he said.
"These emails are becoming more realistic and are being sent from legitimate email addresses customers may recognise,"
Mr Kane said the frequency of hoaxes was also growing and it's estimated that each year billions of hoax emails are sent around the world, designed to target customers of various brands and services.
He said hoaxes often evoke a sense of urgency to catch customers off-guard and there were some common types of email hoaxes where customers need to be wary.
"As people are increasingly managing their household bills online, scammers are catching up with this trend by creating increasingly sophisticated bills that may look the same as those issued by utility companies, but are in fact scams," Mr Kane said.
"Another common hoax is where an email contains embedded links directing customers to a phishing website to gather personal details."
If people suspect they have received a hoax email:
Do not reply to it
Do not open any attachment or click on any embedded links
Delete the email
Other steps customers can take to protect themselves include:
Beware of unsolicited requests for sensitive information - don't follow suspicious links from senders or sites you don't know or trust
If in doubt, visit trusted websites by typing the internet address (URL) into the browser address bar rather than clicking on a link embedded in an email. Save frequently used links in your favourites or bookmarks
Never respond to requests for personal information in an unexpected email or pop-up window. If in doubt, always contact the institution that claims to be the sender of the email or pop-up window
Use aspam filter to help block unsolicited and unwanted email
Report the email to Telstra and contact the ACCC's Scamwatch.
