Cyber crooks use trust in charities to target victims

Posted on 29 Oct 2024

By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

Heartless cyber criminals are impersonating charities and offering fake financial help to economically disadvantaged Australians.

The National Anti-Scam Centre warned that scammers were offering bogus no-interest loans that mirror those provided by trusted charities such as Good Shepherd and the Salvation Army.

The genuine no-interest loan schemes are designed to help low-income earners and people in hardship who are having trouble keeping up with financial payments or hit by unexpected expenses.

Frontline charities, who are highly trusted in the community, are seeing unprecedented demand from financially struggling Australians amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The National Anti-Scam Centre is operated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Commission deputy chair Catriona Lowe said criminals were also deceiving victims by acting as fake emergency relief services, government agencies and services such as MyGov and Centrelink and offering bogus rent relief.

They were also preying on victims’ trust in charities that support people in need, such as the Wesley Mission and Mission Australia.

“As the cost of living has risen, struggling Australians are being targeted in despicable ways by criminals,” said Lowe.

“We are warning people who need financial assistance and those that provide it to be aware of these scams.”

“Genuine support to those who are struggling is available, but we know criminals seek opportunities to take advantage of people in need.”

ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe.

Lowe said criminals targeting vulnerable Australians via financial assistance scams were not only out to steal their money, but also attempting to obtain personal information that could be used to commit other crimes.

Because many people were reluctant to report they were experiencing financial hardship, the number of people targeted by charity scammers offering fake financial assistance was probably much higher.

“Impersonating trusted organisations is a common scam tactic,” said Lowe.

“Australians should independently check an organisation offering financial assistance is legitimate, and never provide personal identifying information through social media.”

Lowe urged anyone who saw suspected scam activity online to report it to the relevant social media platform and to Scamwatch.

“Genuine support to those who are struggling is available, but we know criminals seek opportunities to take advantage of people in need,” said Lowe.

“Don’t rely on social media adverts or assume that the person contacting you is who they say they are. If you think you’ve been targeted by scammers, act quickly to protect yourself.”