October was Cyber Security Awareness Month, a time for all Australians to improve our cyber security knowledge and take action to protect our information and devices from scams and fraud.
Some common scams involve cold-calls to Australians and unsolicited emails and text messages about accessing your super early. In 2023 alone, a whopping $367,553,759 has been lost to scammers, and investment scams have made up the bulk of this statistic1.
If you receive a message from Vision Super, remember we’ll never ask for your superannuation information, such as your membership number or password, and we’ll never send you a link to log on directly from an SMS. Always type www.visionsuper.com.au into a browser or use the Vision Super app to securely access your super. If something looks suspicious, delete it.
How to avoid falling victim to a scam
- Know that scams exist. When someone contacts you by phone, mail, email, in person, or on social media, don’t automatically assume it’s genuine. Some people have ulterior motives, and usually if it seems to be too good to be true, it is.
- Keep up to date with your account. Check in with your account often, by logging in or calling Vision Super. Not only will you be able to track your balance and familiarise yourself with contributions and insurances, but it will allow you to quickly detect any unusual activity that may be occurring.
- Fraudsters won’t give you the time to think things through but will often ask you to take action immediately. Question why it’s so urgent. Don’t feel pressured to do anything without hanging up and checking. If they’re pretending to be from the ATO, call the ATO and verify. Or check the Scamwatch website for updates.
- Don’t give away your personal details. If scammers are wanting you to make a payment, consider how they’re requesting this payment. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, so fraudsters prefer other payment methods such as gift cards, preloaded debit cards or virtual currency. Scammers may also ask you to verify who you are, often pretending to be from a trusted source, so ensure you’re not confirming personal information to someone who calls you unexpectantly.
- Ensure your password is secure, update it regularly, and avoid using the same passwords that you use for social media or your bank.
Vision Super has partnered with Money101 to improve your super knowledge, and also to help you understand how to increase your online security. Click here for an interactive module that will help you understand how to keep your passwords safe.
If you receive a phone call from us that you weren’t expecting, feel free to hang up politely and give us a call yourself – we won’t be offended! And if you ever receive any correspondence from us that doesn’t look right, then please give us a call on 1300 300 820 Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. We will quickly tell you if it’s legitimate.
1 https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/research-and-resources/scam-statistics?scamid=all&date=2023 as at October 23 2023