Fake Emails, Calls and Websites Targeting Australians

Fake Emails, Calls and Websites Targeting Australians

On Friday, July 19, 2024, computers worldwide were impacted by the CrowdStrike update that caused many Windows PC’s to fail. Crowdstrike is security software used by many corporations and government departments to protect their IT environments. This issue impacted LCU suppliers and systems and left some members unable to transfer money via OSKO, or utilise Visa card terminals, which were down or inoperable.

Unfortunately many scammers have immediately started to leverage this global issue and are calling individuals and offering to protect them, or to repair their personal computer in relation to the Crowdstrike outage.

It is crucial for all our members, especially at times like this, to recognise the importance of obtaining information directly from the source.

Obtaining information directly from the source means that any updates or contact should be received directly from CrowdStrike through their official website or representative, rather than any other sites.

The same is said for your banking issues, which should be escalated to LCU on our official website or via a representative of LCU.

Why is this so important?

Scammers have established websites with the intention of deceiving individuals into downloading their “fixes.” However, these are not genuine solutions but methods for scammers to gain remote access to your personal and private information.

Some scammers also make calls and send emails, targeting individuals to download “fixes” that could lead to remote access and the loss of personal and private information.

Taking any of these actions could also result in financial loss. 

Always obtain information directly from the source, and be wary of trusting calls, emails, or websites that are not directly associated with the company you require to be in contact with.

What else should you do to establish a safe online presence?

If you believe you have been a victim of one of these CrowdStrike scams, or any other scam, please contact LCU. You can also become more familiar with scams by visiting Scam Watch Australia’s No 1 resource in scam information and reporting.