The state government has warned people on the latest wave of 'advance fee' scams.
The state government has warned people on the latest wave of 'advance fee' scams - the most recent featuring the late Princess Diana.
Consumer Protection Minister Michelle Roberts said all these scams had one thing in common; they asked for the money upfront before they delivered the big win or goods.
Frauds such as pyramid schemes, the infamous Nigerian scam, to the more recent Princess Diana scam are all examples of advance fee scams.
"Advance fee fraud scams are the most reported in Australia, with millions of dollars lost worldwide to these long enduring rip-offs and Australian consumers are no exception," Mrs Roberts said.
The Princess Diana scam tells prospective victims that they are the beneficiary of the estates of the late Princess of Wales through a lottery paid from her annual British parliament royalty.
It goes onto say that the money is held in a United States bank account and you are required to pay a transaction fee of US$2,800 to the US internal revenue service to release the funds.
The Minister said advance fee frauds were distributed by post, fax and email and they were personal, engaging and lured consumers with the promise of unexpected wealth.
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State Government warns on latest wave of Internet scams.
Advance fee frauds come in all shapes and sizes - from pyramid schemes to the infamous Nigerian scam, to the more recent Princess Diana scam.
Consumer Protection Minister Michelle Roberts said all these Internet scams had one thing in common; they asked for the money upfront before they delivered the big win or goods.
"Advance fee fraud scams are the most reported in Australia, with millions of dollars lost worldwide to these long enduring rip-offs and Australian consumers are no exception," Mrs Roberts said.
"Consumers who report money losses from these scams, some as high as tens of thousands of dollars, come from all walks of life, including highly educated professionals."
The Minister said advance fee frauds were distributed by post, fax and email and they were personal, engaging and lured consumers with the promise of unexpected wealth.
Some offered the bonus of helping people in need or asked for bank account information and personal details, which could put the consumer at risk of identity fraud.
"These scams are sophisticated and highly organised, with scammers continuously
re-inventing new material which is sent off in letters and emails and their clever use of technology makes them very hard to trace," Mrs Roberts said.
"Ignore the temptation and instead send them to WA ScamNet for profiling which will help prevent others from being ripped off."
Send suspected scams to WA ScamNet:
Reply Paid 64772, Locked Bag 14, Cloisters Square, WA, 6850
wascamnet@docep.wa.gov.au
