In recent weeks we have seen a number of people from our area being targeted by scammers, losing thousands of dollars to these somewhat elaborate frauds.
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It appears the elderly from our Southern Highlands are being specifically targeted by scammers who call them, say they're from organisations like the Australian Tax Office, Telstra, a bank or other reputable companies, then warn them about debts they have racked up unknowingly.
They then advise them that the way to pay off those debts are through the purchase of iTune cards.
Once the scammers obtain the appropriate details through the iTune cards they pocket the money.
As crazy as this sounds, there has been over $100,000 worth of money lost to these scammers over the last few months alone in the Southern Highlands area.
No government agency or company like Telstra accept iTune cards to pay off debts so I urge anyone who has received any such request to double check with the company involved before making any purchase.
When in doubt always check where the email came from. Don’t ever call a number listed in the email – do your own research and find the number for banks, or the ATO yourself.
We have alerted local shops that sell these cards to be more aware of this problem to try and help those who may be caught up in this scam.
The scammers appear to target certain areas at a time, with Goulburn also being hit lately before the Southern Highlands was targeted.
So please be mindful of this scam, talk to your parents and grandparents about this scam and help educate and protect them from these scumbags. And alert the police if it happens to you.
