Why is Safer Internet Day important for NDIS Participants?
Digital technology is for everyone, but unfortunately.. , it can also be a means by which people are taken advantage of.
With the celebration of Safer Internet Day, it provides the opportunity to learn more about the most common scams done online. As awareness builds empowerment, knowing these facts can prevent you from becoming a victim.
You Can Protect Yourself from Online Scams By:
- Using trusted online sources only.
- Only using official websites or hotlines.
- Stopping, checking and verifying the information is genuine – this might include calling the person or organisation directly.
- Not clicking on links, opening attachments, or replying to suspicious or unrecognised emails.
- Not sharing your personal information such as your date of birth, or account details. ……..
- Not sharing your passwords with anyone.
- Protecting your passwords.
Contacting your bank or financial institution if you suspect that your account or credit card is at risk.
Reporting scams and cybercrime incidents to http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/
Or see the NDIS Scams Fact Sheet Here.
Types of Online Scams
● Invoicing scams
One of the most common scammer tricks is sending false invoices via email. These emails often look like the real thing and will ask you to pay an invoice into an account that is different from the usual account used. When this happens, always contact your provider and verify whether they sent this email.
In case you have accidentally paid the invoice, immediately:
○ Change your email account passwords
○ Contact your bank or financial institution to report the scam
○ Ask your bank to help you reverse the payment, freeze the scam account and/or recover the funds
○ Check your NDIS records for any other unauthorised payments, withdrawals or updates
● Impersonation
Another common scam is threat-based impersonation. With impersonation, scammers pretend to be an authority from a trusted institution, and they may threaten you into handing over your money or personal details.
An NDIS Participant may receive calls pretending to be from the NDIA. They will make themselves appear as authorities and inform you of a claim that there is a debt against your plan. Scammers may threaten that you will lose access to the NDIS if you don’t provide your personal information including bank details, addresses, and Medicare details. Some scammers may also ask participants to repay these ‘debts’.
Be alert as as impersonators will do their best to appear as if they are legitimate providers and even ‘spoof’ a provider’s phone number.
● Phishing
This type of scam is used by cybercriminals to steal confidential information such as online banking logins, credit card details, business login credentials, or passwords. They often do this by sending ‘lures’ or fraudulent messages and emails.
Phishing scams use a link that once clicked or opened, a virus or malware will be activated to start collecting your personal information and data from your computer or phone.
Common Scammer Tricks to Watch Out For
● Scammers use authority. They tend to claim as someone official.
● Scammers use a sense of urgency and often demand an immediate response to avoid negative consequences.
● Scammers trick your emotions into making you panic, cause fear, or tease your curiosity.
● Scammers engage in tactics related to current events to appear egitimate and relevant.
● Scammers offer too-good-to-be-true offers to lure people in.
Our Commitment to Living My Way Members
Living My Way are committed to helping make the Internet a safer place for our Members. We have established stringent internal processes to help protect you from various scams, and we extend valuable efforts to empower our members against online scams.
If you are unsure if an email or phone call is from Living My Way, check:
• The email address only includes lmwl.org.au after the @.
• If you are unsure of any email received from LMW, we recommend you do not open, and contact us directly by telephone to verify.
• Ask the person to identify themselves and their role and if you are not sure, let them know that you will call LMW directly.
Learn more about our NDIS Support Services and programmes now.
