CANBERRANS URGED TO BE WARY OF SCAMS

Attorney General, Simon Corbell, has issued a warning to Canberrans to be vigilant about possible scammers in the ACT after a number scams have recently been identified in the community.

"Three scams have recently been reported to the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) and I am aware of other investigations by separate authorities into similar behaviour in the ACT," Mr Corbell said.

"Canberrans must be careful when dealing with businesses, particularly those who operate predominantly on the phone, online or transiently from door-to-door."

The Office of Regulatory Services has recently discovered a scammer who is claiming to be from the Office of Fair Trading and is offering a refund on over charged bank fees, but to receive the refund the consumer must pay a fee and provide photographic identification.

Another scam identified by ACT authorities relates to scam rental properties where the scammer advertises a property at a cheap rental rate. The details and pictures of the property may have been "lifted" from a reputable website.

A telltale sign of this type of scam is that the alleged owners of the property live overseas and are unable to show the property to interested parties. Interested people are lured into sending money in order to secure the property only to find they lose their money and the opportunity to gain legitimate rental accommodation.

Another scam relates to door-to-door sales techniques where someone knocks on a door offering goods or services such as home maintenance. A scammer may request money from the homeowner to buy a piece of equipment in order to do the job. They take the money but don't return to do the job.

"Those who are approached with a product or service that seems suspicious should do proper research on the company before handing over any money or signing a contract," Mr Corbell said.

Mr Corbell also reminded Canberrans that any consumer has the right to ask for identification to confirm a sales representative credentials.

"I encourage all Canberrans to be cautious in this area, especially with any offer that sounds too good to be true," Mr Corbell concluded.

If you have fallen victim to a scam, or suspect you have been contacted by a scammer, you can call the Office of Regulatory Services (Fair Trading) on 6207 3000. A comprehensive guide to various types of scams, and how to avoid them, is available at http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ .

Media Contact:

Patrick Cronan 6205 0401 0432 758 224 patrick.cronan@act.gov.au