The New South Wales Government has urged its residents to avoid scam emails disguised as desperate letters from friends “in trouble” while travelling overseas.
NSW Fair Trading minister Virginia Judge told the Sydney Morning Herald that internet users must watch out for the scam.
“According to the scam email, my friend, Ross Steele, was stuck in Spain, missing a wallet with no funds for accommodation or means to get back to Sydney,” she said. “As it turned out he was in fact in Sydney, having never left the country.”
The minister says users should examine their privacy settings and make sure they don’t fall for anything without contacting the person named in the email.
“If you receive an email that appears to be from a family member or friend claiming to be in trouble look at the way the email is written, ask yourself whether the email sounds like it was written by that person,” she said.
“Never send your online account details through an email and think carefully before you give away any personal or financial information.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
