With today being marketed as “CYBER MONDAY” – police are warning about online scammers taking advantage of those seeking a puppy.
Even though there are many genuine puppy breeders in Logan City and the Scenic Rim who do the right thing, it seems there’s been a rise in the number of cyber criminals operating puppy scams.
Detective Inspector VINCE BYRNES says such scams have been particularly bad recently, with $2 milliona already lost
The Financial and Cyber Crime Group are reminding Queenslanders to be aware of Grinch-like scammers and be sure to stay alert to all types of scams.
To help you stay in control online and have a merry, bright and fraud-free festive season, police have shared 12 common cyber scams
- Bogus websites
- Phishing scams
- Parcel delivery scams
- Fake sellers on online classifies/trading sites
- Fake buyers on online classifies/trading sites
- Puppy scams
- Free gift card scams
- Holiday scams
- Impersonation scams
- Fake charities or fundraising appeals
- Romance scams
- Remote access scams
Detective Inspector Byrnes said that scams occur all year round, but scammers prey on people’s generosity and vulnerability at this time of the year.
“If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is,” Detective Inspector Byrnes said.
“We are reminding everyone to be alert to Christmas scammers and report any suspicious or unusual activity to Scamwatch.”
If you are the victim of a cybercrime, you should report the matter quickly and can do so online HERE where it will be referred to the right law enforcement agency to investigate. Be aware that police are unable to recover money lost.
To learn more about scams, click HERE or the Queensland Police Service’s R U in Control campaign HERE
