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Protect your identity online

Please be wary of any unexpected phone calls (or texts) especially if the caller is asking you for personal information such as usernames and passwords. If you are unsure of the nature of the caller then hang up and report this matter to Community Telco immediately on 1300 098 889.

Internet scams and your security online

Community Telco takes your online security seriously. Our aim is to raise your awareness of the potential risks and to try to help you keep up-to-date with the latest scams around.

Below is a list of some of the types of scams that fraudsters have designed to potentially trick and defraud you:

  • Email hoaxes 
  • Phishing scams 
  • Email spoofing

We have also set out some other information that may help you to protect yourself online:

  • Computer software protection 
  • More information

Email hoaxes / Phishing (pronounced ‘fishing’) scams

Many companies have had hoax emails sent out that claim to be from them, asking customers to provide personal or account information. Although they may seem genuine, Community Telco will never send out an email asking you to share any personal information, such as your password or bank account details.

The main purpose of these emails is to try to trick you into sharing personal information in order to commit a crime using your name and credentials.

Remember, if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is!

Phishing scams are exactly as the word describes. Fraudsters are fishing for your personal information in order to use your legitimate credentials to commit fraud. Typically, phishing involves sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be a genuine company or venture.

The bogus company will then attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The email may direct the user to visit a website where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords, credit card, and bank account details that the legitimate organisation already holds. Where the web site is part of a scam, the web site is set up only to steal the user’s information.

Below is an actual example of a (phishing) hoax email, sent to Bendigo Community Telco customers. As you can see, it’s very specific. Be aware, though, there are many forms of hoax emails in circulation and some hoax emails may look quite different to this.

Attention: Impulse.Net Email Account Holder

This message is from Impulse Advanced Communications Internet Service technical
support messaging center, to all Impulse.Net email account holder.

All Mailhub systems will undergo scheduled maintenance. Access to your mailbox via our mail portal will be unavailable for some time during this maintenance period.

We shall be carrying out service maintenance/upgrade on our database and email account center for better online services. We are also deleting all unused email accounts to create more space for new accounts.

In order to ensure you do not experience service interruptions/possible deactivation of your email account, you must reply to this mail immediately confirming your Impulse.Net email account details below for confirmation/identification.
_____________________________________

1. First Name & Last Name:
2. Full Login Email Address:
3. Username:
4. Password:
5. Re-Confirm your Current Password:
_____________________________________

Failure to do this may automatically render your email account deactivated from our email database/mailserver. To enable us upgrade your email account, please reply to this mail.

Internet Technical Support
Impulse Advanced Communications

Email spoofing

Email spoofing is forgery of an email identity. In effect, the message is made to appear to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source.

In much the same way as the phishing example above, the fraudsters change (‘spoof’) the email identity to try to create the appearance of authenticity and make you believe that the email has actually been sent from a company you know well. Not so! In the same way, some distributors of spam (electronic junk mail) use spoofing in an attempt to get recipients to open, and possibly even respond to, their solicitations.

Computer software protection

Is your computer – and your personal information – protected from viruses and spyware? A computer virus is a program designed to cause destruction and chaos. In some cases a computer virus may totally disable a computer. It is recommended that you download the latest security updates daily.

Antivirus software can better safeguard your computer against such malicious threats.

Email is a good example of how viruses are spread throughout the internet. Often viruses are spread via an email attachment. When the attachment is opened the virus is released onto the recipient’s computer. If you receive an email and an attachment from an unknown source, we suggest that you do not open it, but delete it immediately – from both your inbox and your ‘deleted’ box. If you are ever in doubt about the legitimacy of an email or file, we suggest you delete it.

Community Telco does not endorse the use of any particular security products, however, we have listed some links below to sites that may assist you with your internet security:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

General housekeeping

  • Dispose of confidential personal documents with sensitive material such as names, phone numbers, access codes, etc., in a manner which cannot be retrieved by ‘dumpster-diving’ thieves (e.g. shred sensitive material)
  • Make sure you your monthly phone/internet account closely and on a regular basis to immediately identify unusual activity early.
  • Do not allow casual visitors to your home unsupervised access to your telephone(s).
  • Contact Community Telco immediately if you suspect you have been a victim of communication fraud.

More information

Fraudsters and criminals are becoming increasingly cunning and sophisticated and are using both technology and/or your good nature to separate you from your hard earned cash.

Scams involving stealing people’s identities and using them to commit crimes are sweeping the world, and Australia is not immune. These fraudsters can potentially steal money from your bank online by remotely stealing your login and password from your computer.

There are also many prize draw and lottery frauds, Nigerian letters and email scams circulating regularly.

Further information is available on these and other scams, including details on how to protect yourself, at the following URLs:

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/

http://www.afp.gov.au/national/major_fraud/internet_scams#spyware  

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_31029

If you think you've been duped or defrauded in any way, Community Telco recommends that you contact the police or one of the relevant agencies listed above.

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