Tasmanians have lost close to $100,000 in the last two months to malware scams, with older adults being the main targets.
Detective Sergeant Paul Turner said six Tasmanians aged between 74 and 86 have each lost amounts ranging from $600 to $30,000 since June.
“In some cases police have been able to recover the funds, but this has not been possible for all victims,” he said.
“The scam occurs when a person who is operating a device online sees a ‘pop-up’ warning, which asks them to phone a number to fix the issue.”
Sergeant Turner said the malware often infects devices after people unintentionally click on malicious links or ads or visit suspicious websites.
“When the victim rings the phone number, the scammer tells them their computer has been sending error messages or that it has a virus,” he said.
“The scammer may mention problems with the victim’s internet connection or computer and may even suggest that the device or internet connection has been hacked.”
He said the scammer will then request remote access to the victim’s device “to find out what the problem is” and either steal money from online accounts or coerce the person into transferring funds or buying gift cards.
“We’re asking all Tasmanians to beware of these sorts of scams and to check that older family and friends are also aware of the risks,” Sergeant Turner said.
He offered some tips to protect against falling victim to malware scams:
* Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer.
* Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.
* If you receive a phone call out of the blue about your computer and remote access is requested, hang up, even if they mention a well-known company such as Telstra or Microsoft.
* Stop, think and call a friend or family member for advice.
* Make sure your computer is protected with regularly updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a good firewall.
* Research first and only purchase software from a source that you know and trust.
* If you have fallen victim to a scam, report it to your bank and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) immediately.
