Protection from spam and scams

Thank you again for helping WA ScamNet identify current and developing scam and spam activity as it appears across Western Australia.

Every year billions of unwanted spam messages flood the internet causing significant inconvenience to individuals and businesses. It disrupts email delivery, clogs up computer systems, reduces productivity, and is the subject of thousands of complaints received by Consumer Protection every month. Spamming is a federal offence. If you are the target of spam messages contact the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) at www.acma.gov.au.

Spam email is the common term use for electronic 'junk mail' - unwanted messages sent to your email account or mobile phone. Spam varies: some simply promote a product or service or invite a visit to a website where you can make purchases, while others attempt to trick you into giving your bank account or credit details. Commons examples of Spam messages include:

• Banking/phishing emails;
• Offers of stock market options;
• Credit and mortgage arrangements;
• Computer goods including software and hardware;
• Promotions of pharmaceutical and health related products;
• Promoting sales at markets, shops and warehouses;
• Promoting sales of franchises or business ventures;
• Advertisements for restaurants, exhibitions, or trade services;
• Promotions of pornographic websites or services, as well as;
• Gambling services.

When you receive a spam email you have several options:

• Don't respond to it if it seems suspicious;
• If it is a legitimate Australian business, contact them direct and make a complaint;
• If in doubt, make a spam complaint or report to ACMA.

Scams: Examples of activity currently being monitored by Consumer Protection follow. For more detail or to read about new scams and emerging trends visit www.docep.wa.gov.au/scamnet.

• Advanced fee frauds (Nigerian scams): Common scams usually involving offers of a share in foreign funds. Some have a 'charitable' request or 'religious' angle.
• Psychics or clairvoyants: These scams prey on those looking for wealth or health by offering 'good luck' products.
• Prize awards, competition entries, shipping notices: These scams are just electronic versions of postal scams.
• Pyramid schemes: These schemes are illegal across Australia, but scammers still try to recruit people to make money rather than actually selling a legitimate product.
• Employment offers/money transfer schemes: These scams lure the unwary by selling information of no value, providing unmarketable skills, or actually being pyramid schemes in disguise.