Types of Fraud
Here at UBank we know the importance of protecting your hard-earned money. And that‘s why we‘ve come up with a few handy hints and tips to ensure your money stays right where it belongs.
There are a number of ways scammers will try to get a hold of your money. Here‘s a few of the most common.
Mobile phone porting
Scammers who‘ve compromised your Online Banking credentials may transfer your phone number to another provider so they can receive any security codes sent by UBank.
If your mobile phone service is suddenly disconnected then this could be a warning sign that your mobile phone has been transferred to another provider and you should telephone your mobile provider immediately to confirm why your mobile service is not working.
If your mobile has been transferred to another provider without your permission please contact us on 13 30 80.
Helping out a ‘friend‘
Fraudsters may seek to befriend you over the internet, often through dating/friendship sites, over an extended period with the sole intent to defraud you or to have you commit fraudulent activity on their behalf.
These fraudsters will often ask you for money to pay for flights to come and see you or to send funds to help them with an illness.
In other cases these fraudsters will seek to have you assist them to defraud other people by opening bank accounts in your name and then providing them with the account details or by transferring funds on their behalf. You could be committing fraud on their behalf.
If you are asked to open a UBank account on behalf of a friend you met over the internet then it is probably a sign that something may not be right and you should contact UBank to report it.
Phishing
Phishing is when scammers try to trick you into providing your personal information – such as passwords or your bank account details.
A few ways they try are:
- By email
scammers can use an authentic looking email to get your details. UBank will never send you an email asking for your password or send a link to the login page for Online Banking.
If you receive an email that you suspect is non-genuine then do not click on any links and report it to UBank by emailing alert@ubank.com.au
- Over the phone
A scammer may be brazen enough to try and contact you by phone pretending to be from UBank and request account details such as bank account number or passwords. Ironically, it will probably be to let you know there is a ‘problem‘ with your account security. If you have any concerns on the legitimacy of a phone call then don‘t answer any questions and call UBank directly on 13 30 80 to speak to us.
- By SMS
Scammers can also target your mobile by sending you an SMS claiming to be from UBank and asking for you to provide account details. UBank will never send you an SMS requesting account information.If you receive any SMS message that you haven‘t requested or you‘re suspicious of, please contact us on 13 30 80.
Identity theft
Identity theft comes in many shapes and sizes, from well organised scams to crude, poorly executed methods. If anyone asks for your personal information, no matter how convincing their story may be, always make sure that a request for your details is genuine.
Malicious software (Malware) and Spyware
Often those pesky advertisements that ‘pop up‘ in a different browser window while you're on the web aren‘t what they seem. They might be downloading ‘spyware‘ or ‘adware‘. These programs gather your user information and monitor your internet activity, usually for advertising use.
Ensure you have security software installed that detects and removes spyware.
Viruses and Trojans
These are harmful programs loaded on to your computer without you knowing. They‘re used to obtain the information on your computer, and can damage the performance of your computer as well as flood you with advertising.
Viruses spread by infecting computers and then replicating; while Trojans look like genuine applications, but embed themselves into your computer, and monitor your activity.
Fake job advertisements
These scams target people looking for a new job, and promise a big income for not much work. As the old saying goes, "If it‘s too good to be true, it probably is."
You can report a scam or a suspicious advertisement or find out more through the SCAMwatch website at www.scamwatch.gov.au
