Beware of new phone scams.
Residents have reported receiving phone calls supposedly from Telstra or Optus requesting credit card details to confirm identity.
When credit card details are refused you will then be told that you will then be removed from the don't call telephone list.
Under no circumstances give any unsolicited caller credit card details.

The second scam involves calls from Rumania, Latvia or Equatorial New Guinea. Your mobile phone will ring very briefly.
The scammers are working on the curiosity impulse that drives us to return calls to find out what we may have missed.
The number you call back is a premium call number that charges you tens of dollars per minute while you wait and listen to promises
of what you will receive after waiting.
Don't return call from numbers preceded by a "+" if you are unsure of the country code. ie +64 for New Zealand +44 for UK.

The third scam. People will ring saying they are from Tesltra, NBN, TPG etc. etc.
You are advised that you internet connection is about to be disrupted because your computer is generating excessive errors.
You will be directed and steered to open the “Event Viewer” on windows, Lo and behold there will be thousands of errors.
(this is quite normal for windows, it’s a regular part of the Operating System used to generate informational error messages).
The caller will then direct you to a fix, which is to connect to one of their servers for repair.
You will be directed to open a browser and navigate to teamviewer.com and tell them the onscreen username and password.
This will allow them to access your computer. NEVER DO THIS. While teamviewer is a well established and highly regarded tool for
remote computer access, it facilitates complete control of a remote computer as though the remote user had his hands on your
keyboard and mouse. From there they could harvest your email data, banking details or even encrypt your hard drive,
rendering your computer useless unless a ransom was paid.

 
 
 

Beware of new email scams.
A new fiendishly cunning email scam is doing the rounds.
An email arrives to inform the reader that their computer has been infected with a virus. It reads something like this:
“When you visited our Porn site and clicked the play button on our videos, it allowed us to activate your webcam and
to access all your email contacts.” The email then goes on to attempt a blackmail: “Unless you send us money (various amounts specified)
via bitcoin, We will forward the Porn video you were watching and the video of what you were doing while watching the video
to all your email contacts”

 
 
 

Beware of mail theft.
It’s happening again!  Many residents have recently reported that their mail has been stolen or compromised.
Some letterboxes with locks have been picked and left open so the perpetrators are seriously determined.
Please empty letterboxes as soon as is practical and be on the alert for scammers ringing after the theft
claiming to be from your financial institutions etc and asking for your personal details. The scammers have even
left cards requesting you contact them to verify such private information. If in doubt, always phone your bank or
financial institution directly to make your own enquiries.

 
     

COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS:

Do you have a suggestion to make on issues in Beecroft and Cheltenham that you wish the Civic Trust to look at?

Please email comment@bcct2119.com.au with your comments.

   
 
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