Watch out! Fake Kyle Sandilands stealing from the unwary
Aussie Facebook users are being warned about falling victim to bogus cash prizes, with scammers posing as radio hosts such as Ray Hadley and Kyle Sandilands to steal credit card information.
One woman from Sydney was conned out of $500 after a scammer posing as Kyle Sandilands asked her to provide her credit card information in order to claim a $1,000 "prize".
54-year-old Marina told 9Honey that she had originally commented on the official Kyle and Jackie O page, when a different account claiming to be the KIIS FM host contacted her saying she has won a promotion.
"I commented on the page and then I had a friend request from a Kyle Sandilands, it seemed real because it had thousands of followers," Marina explains.
"They said to me I'd won $1000 but I had to fill out a questionnaire, but part of it asked for my card details. I messaged him and asked about it, and the person said it would just take a 1 cent hold, but they needed it for my prize."
After putting her details into the form and sending it back, she never heard anything back.
Instead, Marina claims she got a notification on her phone one week later that $500 had been withdrawn from her account.
She immediately called her bank to cancel her credit card, with her bank thankfully reversing the charge.
Despite getting her money back, the single mum was still shocked at how easy it was to fall for the scam in the first place.
"They really pulled me in, it seemed legit," she says.
Sandilands' name is used for several fake Facebook accounts, with another page titled 'Kyle Sandlands' sharing false giveaways and asking users to enter their card details before they can claim a cash prize.
Another woman almost fell for a similar scam on a Facebook page linked to Ray Hadley.
Kelly was contacted by a Facebook page claiming to be the 2GB presenter and asked for her credit card details to deposit a cash win.
Instantly hesitant of the message, Kelly blocked the unofficial Facebook page and didn't hand over her card number.
She the called into Ray Hadley's morning show to discuss the matter, to which he told listeners that he doesn't have a personal Facebook page, and only used the official Ray Hadley Morning Show page.
To avoid scams like these, it's important to look out for a few key red flags.
Question the urgency
Scammers don't want to give you the time to think about the request for confidential information.
If a message requests you to take action immediately, think things through rationally and use your better judgement to identify if it's a scam.
Be cautious with personal details
Don't feel pressured to give out personal information over the phone, whether it's through a phone call or text message.
The same goes with credit card information. If you are online shopping, make sure you are using a secure server.
Be wary of attachments
Never open any attachments or links in a text or email if they're from an unknown source.
There have been phishing emails and texts appearing to come from well-known companies, so it always pays to be cautious.
Image credits: Getty Images