General News
26 August, 2020
Scam email on the rise
Queensland Police have had an increase of reports from victims receiving emails suggesting an explosive device has been planted in the building the recipient is currently located in. It further states the device is small and will not be found.
The message states the explosive device can be deactivated if the email recipient pays a very significant sum of money by way of digital currency.
The payment process is explained, and the email recipient is usually advised they have three days to make the payment.
Police have witnessed similar threatening styled email/text messages in the past, you can learn more about these phishing messages through the information provided by Scamwatch.
If you receive this type of email, Queensland Police advise:
· Do not make any financial payments to the email sender
· Do not interact with any links or attachments included in the email
· If you have any genuine reason to be concerned for your safety, report the matter immediately to your local police.
It is possible that more members of the community may see this message in the future.
If you have made a payment to the sender of such an email notify your financial institution immediately and report the matter to the Australian Cyber Security Centre – ReportCyber .
If you did not lose any funds you can still report the incident to Scamwatch.
Learn more about scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au and R U In Control.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
