Last week was Scam Awareness Week.  It’s an initiative of the ACCC.  They gave great advice on how to protect yourself against scammers.

There are many forms of scamming. And the methods are continually changing and becoming ever more sophisticated.  It’s also on the rise as the losses to scammers last year increased by 23%.  Many are linked to computers and other electronic devices but can also include:-

• Phone calls – you would be surprised how many clients have received a phone call like the above purporting to be from the ATO.
• Door knocks.
• Fake supplier invoices.
• Stealing identity by stealing personal information from mail boxes.

So what are some of the keys ways you can protect yourself:-

• Never give your personal details over the phone or by e-mail.
• On your computer, run a virus checker and malware protector. Ensure these are set to update automatically and run a full scan at least once a week.
• Use an e-mail washing program. It will allow you to safely preview the text of an e-mail and to check that the sender’s e-mail address is genuine.
• Use a password protection program so you can set complicated passwords for all your logins. And change your passwords at least every month.
• Email, just like a letterbox, is not safe. Google also reserve the right to use information contained within an e-mail to or from a Gmail email address. Use our client portal service to securely exchange information with us.
• Do not accept emails from suspicious addresses.
• Be very wary of all other emails. Spammers are now so specific in what they are attacking that we often receive e-mails from major software providers.
• Use a banking token / toggle and perhaps set your daily limit lower.
• Run a back-up system and regularly test that it is functioning properly.
• Use two step software authentication wherever possible.

In short, adopt appropriate practices and always be on guard.

You may also wish to read the ACCC’s scam guidebook – Little Black Book of Scams. https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/the-little-black-book-of-scams

Please call us if you would like a referral to a trusted computer support technician.