Text message scam costs Murraylands man $5000

SA Police are warning people to watch out for suspicious texts, emails or pop-up windows.

Don’t click on that suspicious link, SA Police say. Photo: Nordwood Themes/Unsplash.

Police are warning community members to watch out after a Murraylands man lost thousands of dollars to a text message scam.

On April 1, the man received a text message which said his phone company was going to delete all the applications off his phone, as it was at risk of being hacked.

The man clicked an internet link in the text message.

That created a connection which the scammer used to remotely access the man’s phone and transfer $5000 out of his bank account.

“Unfortunately, scams are everywhere,” SA Police said in a statement.

“Some scams can be quite elaborate, and the offenders can be very believable.”

Police advise not to click on web links in suspicious text messages, pop-up windows or emails.

Instead, try to verify the identity of the contact by searching for their genuine contact details in a phone book or online; or simply delete the message or close the window.

“Please share this information with friends, family and the wider community in an effort to prevent this from happening to someone else,” SA Police said.

• More information: www.scamwatch.gov.au.

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