Yahoo Finance Bankwest text warning: ‘Scammers have last 4 digits of your card number’
Bankwest has warned customers about a new scam text that aims to steal their payment details and even knows the last four digits of their card number.
Bankwest said it was made aware of the scam targeting its customers and warned those who received it not to click on any links embedded in the text message.
The text message comes from a number claiming to be Bankwest.
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“Having gained your trust, the text advises that your card is over the limit, with a hyperlink to click through to pay the outstanding amount, thus gaining your payment information,” Bankwest said.
“Please know this is not from a legitimate Bankwest source and we advise you not to engage with the text message at all.”
How did the scammers get the card numbers?
Bankwest said the scammers were able to access the card numbers through payment systems that provide the last few digits of phone numbers and card details for confirmation purposes.
“Unfortunately this information can be used by fraudsters to develop trust with people in order to trick them into providing the missing information,” a Bankwest representative said.
“We have increased our cybersecurity measures in preparation for any increase in malicious attacks. Currently there is no evidence of any cyber breach on our systems or services.”
Bankwest said anyone who had received a suspicious text message should not click on any links and get in touch with the bank via the contact details on its website.
Scams on the rise
Scams cost Australian consumers, businesses, and the economy hundreds of millions of dollars each year and cause serious emotional harm to victims and their families, according to ACCC’s Scamwatch.
In 2021 Australians made more than 286,600 reports to Scamwatch and reported losses of around $324 million. By the end of August this year, Australians had lost even more, with reported losses of more than $381 million.
“With millions of Australians more vulnerable to scams, following the recent spate of large-scale data breaches, there has never been a more important time to know the tell-tale signs of a scammer,” ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said.
“We know scammers are relentlessly targeting Australians. Research commissioned by the ACCC shows that 96 per cent of the population was exposed to a scam in the five years to 2021. Half of the survey’s respondents were contacted weekly or daily by scammers - a figure expected to rise given current cybersecurity concerns.”
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