Be alert, don't get scammed

Every year, thousands of Australians are targeted by scams, whether it be online, via phone, mail or even in person.

The Lakes Mail has compiled a list of current scams identified on scamwatch.gov.au, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's website dedicated to informing people about fraudulent and dishonest activities:

Fake pharmacies

• Scammers will set up fake pharmacy websites designed to look like legitimate retailers.
  
• Will offer health products, medicines and drugs at cheap prices or without the need for a prescription.
  
• Prescription-only medicine requires a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional to have examined you. Most medicines have at least some side-effects and these can be very serious for some people. They can also have dangerous interactions with medicines you are already taking.
  
• If you take up an offer, and pay the 'retailer', you may never receive the items you ordered. If you do receive the products that you order, there is no guarantee that they are the real thing. In some cases, the medicines or other products may even damage your health.
  

Psychic & clairvoyant

• Approach you by post, email, telephone or even face-to-face to foreshadow a positive upcoming event or claiming that you are in some sort of trouble and offering a solution.
  
• Solution could be winning lottery numbers, a lucky charm, the removal of a curse or jinx, or ongoing protection.
• The scammer will tell you that they will help you in return for a fee. If you refuse to pay, some scammers will threaten to invoke a curse or bad luck charm on you.
• Scammers may try and talk you into buying a lucky charm or secret of wealth, and once you have paid, will send you a worthless item or nothing at all.
  
• These kinds of scams can also lead to your name and contact details being put onto a 'victim list' which will result in you receiving further scam approaches, for example unexpected prize or lottery scams or inheritance scams.