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Alert comes as West Australians lose more than $320,000 to phishing scams in October alone.
Western Australia’s Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Trish Blake, has warned West Australian consumers of the rising trend of data breaches leading to highly targeted scamming campaigns.
“Scammers no longer needed to cast a wide net to catch victims – they’re tailoring scam messages to individuals with disturbingly accurate detail,” Blake said in a 12 November statement.
“A request to confirm account details or pay a fee – especially one that includes your name, address or recent activity – can seem legitimate but may be part of a scam that leads to identity theft, financial loss and emotional distress.”
Personal details such as the above are being harvested via data breaches, which are an increasingly regular occurrence. According to WA ScamNet’s most recent figures, West Australians have lost more than $1.1 million to scammers, with phishing accounting for more than $320,000 in just the month of October alone, with one single victim accounting for a loss of $314,000.
Blake urged consumers to take all possible steps to secure their digital identity and accounts.
“Start by securing your online accounts – change your passwords or passphrases, enable two-factor authentication wherever possible, and regularly review your security settings to ensure they’re up to date,” the commissioner said.
“One of the most effective ways to protect your identity in Western Australia is by placing a block on your driver’s licence or learner’s permit through the Department of Transport’s DoTDirect service. This prevents scammers from using those documents for identity verification through the Australian government’s Document Verification Service.”
Blake also said that businesses need to take their cyber security more seriously in order to protect their customers’ data.
“All businesses should invest in strong cyber security systems, provide regular staff training, and act swiftly to identify and contain any breaches,” Blake said.
“It’s also vital that affected individuals are notified and that serious breaches are reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.”
Scams can be reported in Western Australia via the WA ScamNet website, or by calling 1300 30 40 54 or emailing [email protected].
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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