Scamwatch warning: Australians warned to look out for livestreaming scam: ‘Don’t click’
Australians have been warned to be on the lookout for scammers circulating live streaming links of sporting events online in order to obtain credit card details.
Scamwatch issued the alert on Friday after a NSW rugby club posted on Facebook that scammers had inserted fake streaming links into their comment posts.
“A lot of this stuff pops up all over Facebook, unfortunately out of our control,” wrote Maitland Pickers Rugby League Club.
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“Don’t click the link.”
The club posted a screenshot of a comment made by an alleged cheater who provided a streaming link to a rugby match.
“This is the official Skysport link to stream (sic) the game,” the scammer wrote.
Scamwatch urges sports fans to be aware of these fake links scammers use to obtain credit card information.
“Scammers will ask you to register with your credit card to verify your location, but then they will take your money,” it said.
“Do not click on links in comments or provide your credit card information.”
Phishing scams on the rise
A spokesman for Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) told 7NEWS.com.au there has been a significant rise in phishing scams – a term used to describe when a scammer attempts to steal sensitive information such as passwords and steal credit card information.
“Scamwatch received over 74,500 phishing scam reports and $24.6 million in reported losses in 2022. This is an increase of over 469 percent in total reported losses from phishing scams compared to 2021,” the spokesperson said.
The ACCC has received reports of victims being tricked into signing up for sports streaming subscriptions, and then encountering issues with automatic re-subscriptions at high prices or the inability to cancel the service.
“Our advice for consumers is to do extensive, independent research about the streaming service before signing up,” the rep said.
“Look for independent reviews rather than relying on those found on their website or social media profiles.”
Consumers should report scams they see online to Scamwatch through the website.