A Safer Community, Safer Queensland Presented by Brisbane Bayside VAC to Redland City Council Robert (Chair) Acknowledgment of Country - Quandamooka A Safer Community, Safer Queensland Crime Stoppers Queensland is a registered charity and community run organisation that is supported by local volunteers across the state. We are committed to make a safer Queensland for our communities. Origin of Crime Stoppers International 1976 • Armed robbery in Albuquerque , New Mexico • Detective MacAleese – ex journalist • Used contacts in media to re-enact the crime on news • Called for help from the community • Solved the crime • Started Crime Stoppers Our organisation is run by a group of 400 volunteers across Queensland 30 committees across Queensland and help to make your community safer. Crime Stoppers Queensland : 1989 – present Crime Stoppers Queensland is a registered charity and volunteer community organisation. Our purpose is to empower the community to provide information that supports the solving and prevention of crime. Our vision: Safer community, Safer Australia. We were first established in 1989 and are a member of the Crime Stoppers Australia national collective of eight Crime Stopper organisations operating in every state and territory in Australia. We work closely with police, media and the community to help solve, reduce and prevent crime by collecting information and passing on those details to police and other law enforcement agencies to help keep communities and families safe. Crime Stoppers Queensland Limited is a volunteer organisation and registered charity. We rely on community support to deliver outcomes to our community. There is presently 400+ volunteers in Queensland. Our volunteers form Area Committees spread throughout our state. Volunteer Area Committees currently operate in the following locations: Brisbane Bayside, Brisbane Centenary, Brisbane Central Brisbane Metropolitan North, Brisbane Metropolitan South, Brisbane West Bundaberg, Logan Beaudesert , Mackay ,Maryborough, Mount Isa ,Pine Rivers, Redcliffe ,Rockhampton, South Gold Coast Tweed, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Warwick , Caboolture ,Cairns, Dalby, Emerald, Emerald, Far Northern Qld, Gladstone, Gold Coast North, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Ingham, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley Brisbane Bayside Brisbane Bayside Brisbane Bayside Brisbane Bayside Volunteer Area Committee Situated on the Southeast Coast of Queensland with a population of over 170 thousand residents, the Brisbane Bayside Crime Stoppers Volunteer Area encompasses the land area of Redland City Council (including the Bay Islands) and part of Brisbane City Council. The Bayside has a diverse cultural background and as well as the mainland , includes Minjerribah, Mulgumpin, Coochiemudlo, Macleay, Russell, Lamb and Karragarra Islands. Current Committee Executive Chairman – Robert Plummer Secretary – Zak Waters Treasurer – Kay Plummer Bayside Crime Stoppers Activities 2023 • Community education : E Scam presentations • Working with RCC on crime hotspots for signage • National Campaign on drugs crime prevention • Coffee with a cop and community events • Relationships with: Redlands Sunrise Rotary Wellington Point Rotary Lions Club Cleveland Rotary Cleveland Probus Clubs • Future : Planning for crime prevention around building sites Bayside Crime Stoppers Activities 2023 in photos E Scam - Presentations Signage to schools and crime hot spots 2023 National Campaign on Drugs – with all federal and state and territory Police forces. Community events to promote the use of 1800333000 Relationship with and Presentations to community service clubs Questions How to Avoid Electronic Scams Presented By Brisbane Bayside Crime Stoppers Electronic Scams Have you ever had an offer that’s too good to be true? “If it’s too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true” • Scammers are clever and always changing their methods to be more sophisticated • They take advantage of new technology and changing social climates to create believable scenarios • Scams have cost Australians over $3.1B in 2022 • They affect everyone, men and women of all backgrounds, intelligence, socioeconomic status. • Older Australians, including retirees among the victims with the highest losses • ACCC Targeting Scams Report 2021 What harm do they cause? • Loss of some/all savings and assets • Debt, lack of credit to obtain loans • Pressure on retirees • Scams cause more than just financial harm to the victim • Loss of private and personal information • Distributed personal information makes you a target for further scam attempts • Psychological effects • Guilt, humiliation • Lack of trust, depression, anxiety Most common E-Scams • Dating and romance scams • Investment scams (including cryptocurrency) • Threatening penalty scams • Unexpected money/prize/lottery scams • Online shopping/social media marketplace scams • Identity theft scams • Facebook marketplace scams Recent and emerging scams • Scammers are sophisticated and seek to take advantage of current events as well as adopting new manipulative methods • Scams taking advantage of the data breaches in big companies • Such as Optus and Medicare data breaches • Continuing COVID-19 scams • Queensland-specific Linkt Road toll scams • “Hi Mum” text message scams • Cryptocurrency investment scams • Streaming services scams • Tickets/holiday scams Recent Data Breach Scams • Takes advantage of anxiety and concern regarding the Optus and Medicare Data Breaches Continuing COVID-19 Scams • Fake financial aid or test results Linkt Road Toll Scams • Overdue road toll scam stealing credit card information • Linkt manages Road Tolls throughout Australia • 1000’s of people use it everyday “Hi Mum” Scam • Targets families by pretending to be family member Streaming Services Scam • Targets users of streaming services Numerous phone scams • It is very easy to create a fake number that looks like a legitimate Australian number using the internet • Some scams over the phone threaten or apply undue pressure to act immediately • Overdue taxes • Legal action • Car accidents • Insurance claims • Etc • Superannuation or utility provider scams • Microsoft/computer virus scans What do these scams have in common? • Impersonates others and “socially engineers” scenarios to provide a false sense of authority/security • They might exploit any personal details obtained about you to make you trust their stories • It is very easy to make fake webpages and documents that look real on the internet • Tricks you into making spontaneous decisions that aren’t thought out • They exploit your natural human emotions to create a sense of excitement or urgency, so you don’t have time to think things through before acting • Applies high pressure tactics – ”limited offer”, “pay before”, “it is an offence”, “you will be fined” …. Steps you can take to prevent scams • The best defense is to not make any quick decisions despite what you’re told • Think things through before opening a link or sending information • Is it really necessary to reply now? Can I wait to send money/pay a debt or bill? • You don’t have to answer calls from unknown numbers • Wait an hour, check voicemail • Most scam calls won’t leave a voicemail • Most legitimate callers will leave a voicemail/contact info • Google the number – most of the time you can find out if the phone number is associated with fraud/scams • If you happen to answer a call and you’re addressed as “Mr/Mrs/Ms [Last Name]”, its probably not legitimate • If you receive an SMS containing a link, don’t open it • If the SMS purports to be from a company (i.e. Auspost, ATO, Linkt) • Call them to verify that the text message is legitimate • Most of the time companies have a record of correspondence sent to customer Other steps you can take • Don’t publish your personal information on the internet • Your phone number, address, licence plates etc. • Ensure your social media privacy settings are updated • Make your profiles private to the public • Stops anonymous people from seeing/acquiring personal information about you • Practice good cyber-security habits Good cyber-security habits • Passwords • Have strong passwords containing letters, numbers and symbols • Don’t use phrases or names relatable to you • Don’t use the same password across multiple accounts • Password managers are a great tool • Utilise two-factor authentication! • Keep your phone, computers and web browsers up to date • Companies continuously find and remove security vulnerabilities in their software – hundreds of times each year • Don’t conduct personal business (banking, mygov, etc) on public wifi What happens if you’re a victim of a scam or identity theft? • ACT FAST TO MITIGATE LOSS! • Contact your bank/financial institution/super fund asap • If you think you’re a victim of identity theft, reduce risk of harm by: • Contacting IDCARE (idcare.org – or call them 1800 595 160) • Apply for a Cth Victims’ Certificate to assist in retrieving and creating new government documents • Report the scam to the authorities: • The ACCC • For myGov scams - Services Australia Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk (1800 941 126) • Financial Scams – report to ASIC • Cyber blackmail/extortion – the Office of the eSafety Commissioner • Tax Scams – report to the ATO • Change ALL your online passwords immediately • Be on the lookout for suspicious activity on your records/monitor your credit report • If you know someone that is scamming, or involved in scams/identity theft • Report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers • https://moneysmart.gov.au – https://www.scamwatch.gov.au Key Takeaways • Times have changed • Cannot trust people online/on the phone like we used to • Scams online or over the phone now come in all shapes and sizes • But – there are steps you can take to avoid falling victim to a scam • Never click a dodgy link! • Be extra vigilant when being approach by someone you don’t know online • Questions?
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