http://www.affordableappliances.com.au/
http://www.directcamerawarehouse.com.au/
http://www.thefoneshop.com.au/
http://www.xtremegopro.com.au/
http://www.totaltelevisions.com.au/
There are probably more by this same scammer.
I have not had time to check, but I think scammer is using a pre-paid credit card (pay as you go - load and go) to receive the money.
They have the same FAQ's.. I think banning them is the optimum solution. We do not want that any Ozbargainer should get hurt.
You asked me if I had
"any evidence of this being a scam?"
I replied, truthfully, that I had none - it was only my common sense that had me believe that these were 'scam sites'.
There is still no "evidence" as such.
We've banned them all and linked them to this investigation thread. If they wish to be unbanned (which I doubt), they can do so here.
We've banned them all and linked them to this investigation thread.
Good idea. Hopefully, if any similar sites are located people can add them in this thread.
auDA have replied to my report with what appears to be a form letter.
"The .au Domain Administration (auDA) is the policy authority and industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain space and does not have authority over .au web sites that are hosts to spamming, phishing or financial scams, malware or malicious content.
Please either refer your query to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission website SCAMwatch (http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/reportas…) or CERT Australia (http://www.cert.gov.au).
If you believe that the registrants of the domain names are in breach of the .au policy rules, then you may lodge a formal complaint with auDA by submitting the online form at http://www.auda.org.au/form-complaint-domainname.php. If any of your complaints are upheld then auDA will delete the domain names, and they will become available for registration again on a first come, first served basis.
If you intend to lodge a formal complaint against the current registrants, you must note the specific auDA policy provision or clause (policy number, section and paragraph) that you feel the registrants have breached and provide substantive reason(s) supporting your assertion. Please note that a complaint to this office can only be about a policy breach."
So, I would need to make several formal complaints with auDA by submitting the online form, and I must note the specific auDA policy provision or clause (policy number, section and paragraph) that I feel the registrants have breached and provide substantive reason(s) supporting my assertions. However, they do not appear to have a policy regarding stealing ACN details.
I am trying to 'speed up' the process of having these domains removed by calling and emailing the registrars.
New scam site?
Again, only evidence common sense do far.
My IP being blocked is setting off my spider sense.
Futuregaming.com.au
EDIT:
CONFIRMED AS A SCAM FRAUD SITE
futuregaming.com.au
future gaming com au
I can tell you that they are using my company's name and ABN and they have NOTHING to do with us. They also used it to register the domain, and I have lodged a formal complaint with auDA about that, as well as with ASIC and Fair Trading. If anyone wants those references please let me know by personal mail on this site.
You can make your own judgement about the company based on that.
AD Gaming (the company's name they are using) is a very reputable (and government regulated) company. Sadly, ASIC details of companies are openly available on the ASIC website for anyone to use to misrepresent themselves. I'm sure we're not the first and won't be the last.
If you wish to make a complaint, contact the following:
Mod: Requested by police to remove details
Make a report to your local police station.
As scammer has been blocking my IP since I started this thread and collected their previous banking information - I had to borrow an iPad and use cellular data access to check on their latest scam fraud site.
Now - Scammer is once again using NAB Ubank to defraud Australians.
BSB: 082991. NAB Ubank Level 2, 73 Miller Street North Sydney 2060.
Account is supposedly 190931446 - (May be one of those cards from Post Offices / Supermarkets - or another online account opened with no more ID than a stolen ABN/ACN and name).
Those of you who were able to get NAB Ubank to take notice last time PLEASE do so again for this Ubank 'account'.
gee, there really needs to be more stringent eligibility checks by the registrars. it is all too simple to get details about companies from abr and then fraudulently register a domain.
The NSW Police have asked that you not contact them with this report number but that you contact your local police station.
Yesterday I purchased and paid for my order. After searching I found this forum and now I'm worried I might lose my money. Is there anything I can do A3Australia to get my money back?
Yesterday I purchased and paid for my order. After searching I found this forum and now I'm worried I might lose my money. Is there anything I can do A3Australia to get my money back?
Should have searched before sending money. Sorry….
Contact the Police as detailed in this thread:-
Mod: Requested by police to remove details
Make a report to your local police station.
Contact BOTH Banks. Yours AND Ubank. BSB: 082991 Account 190931446
Hopefully you have a record of the account number you paid into - as it may not be the same as given here (scammer is known to change accounts).
Good Luck.
contact your bank without delay to try to reverse the transaction & report the incident
they all look very similar
it is also about time australia post verified id on their load & go cards. they should be ashamed of themselves.
Well they are using Wordpress so that's not surprising.
all the load & go cards are issued by heritage building society aren't they? if that is the case, then simply never deposit money into an account with a heritage bsb 638-xxx
all the load & go cards are issued by heritage building society aren't they? if that is the case, then simply never deposit money into an account with a heritage bsb 638-xxx
I traced this scam to a NAB BSB.
I use Wordpress for my business site and I have a Heritage Bank account for my business. I don't know how I look myself in the mirror sometimes.
Grab a fee-free account from almost any major (or even minor) bank if you're worried ;)
These sites are being discussed on Whirlpool now…
Its a shame its a scam there website looked nice and the prices where good to.
Its a shame its a scam there website looked nice and the prices where good to.
Let me fix that for you.
It is a shame that it is a scam. Their web site looked nice, and their prices were good.
Both ways are valid depending on whether you want a pause for dramatic effect, or not.
I can't get any Police interested.
If any of you have a Police 'contact' or any suggestions as to which section/branch would be interested in this scam, please post here or contact me.
I've reported scams in the past (which went to court/conviction/gaol) but police will generally only investigate if you provide some sort of evidence (easy if you've been scammed) and have a significant amount of people scammed. If someone wants to actively pursue this, pay a visit to the addresses listed on the sites and see what they have to say. Or get the full company details of the ABN and contact them.
At this point, you are best to contact SCAMWATCH via ACCC.
There are several "companies" being used.
Each domain registration is using a different company.
The scammer appears to have chosen abandoned companies that do not show up in any searches.
The only thing in common in all the domain registrations is the scammer's email address.
Local Police, Federal Police, are no use. They do not seem to know to who this should be reported.
I've reported scams in the past (which went to court/conviction/gaol) but police will generally only investigate if you provide some sort of evidence (easy if you've been scammed) and have a significant amount of people scammed. If someone wants to actively pursue this, pay a visit to the addresses listed on the sites and see what they have to say. Or get the full company details of the ABN and contact them.
At this point, you are best to contact SCAMWATCH via ACCC.
As per your advice, I just made a full report at ScamWatch.
I note that they say for this type of scam one should report it to the Police - but they give no guide as to what section of the Police.
The addresses are all false and in different states.
To get the contact details of each company would cost $$$ and would be pointless anyway.
The Police seem as interested in this type of scam as they are about the hundreds of stolen phones being sold on Australian eBay each year.
It is sad really.
You need to show that this person or company is committing "theft by deception" or whatever charge.
My scenario was a few years ago but it involved myself and a hundred others buying something off eBay and not receiving the item (right before Paypal was mandatory).
You need to know where the criminal is. In my case, it was NSW, and I am located in VIC. So someone from NSW, filed a police report at their local station and the detective handling the case was willing to take police reports from everyone around the country.
Police aren't as computer savvy as us. You need to tell them what you need them to do. In our case, it was to contact eBay and get the sellers records, obtain bank records (we already had them but not officially), and arrest the guy. Then they can write up the whole thing and file it in the court.
The addresses are all false and in different states.
There isn't any evidence that they are false. Seems the easiest way is for someone to pay a visit to the address.
It's pretty sad but police are very stretched out. Stuff like this is a very low priority compared to violent crimes especially when seemingly no one has been scammed yet.
Might be better waiting to hear what AUDA say. Having the .com.au's de-registered should be enough to prevent scamming Australians.
It would be interesting to see the IP address of the e-mails being sent out. Although these days cheap outsourcing of freelancers from overseas is now common and not necessarily proof of scamming.
I've lost thousands of $$$ because of one particular site……………….ozbargain.com.au
but those sites above. payment method is direct debit. all different banks
Account Name: Extreme Toys Pty Ltd
BSB: 013 141
Account Number: 851418587
Account Name: Fone Shop Pty Ltd
BSB: 012-055
Account Number: 251222249
Account Name: Direct Camera Express Pty Ltd
BSB: 013 241
Account Number: 901614691
Account Name: AFFORDABLE APPLIANCES PTY LTD
BSB: 012-361
Account Number: 198050934
If this is a scam, how does someone register bank accounts for different businesses? It does seem strange that they are all ANZ bank accounts.
From ANZ website
Information you will need to complete this online application form:
1) Business trading name, trading address, mailing address, and structure of business entity (eg. sole trader, partnership, etc)
2) Business number (eg. ABN, ACN, Association Number, etc)
3)Number of required account signatories authorised to operate the account
4)Personal details for each signatory, including name, position within the business, contact details and date of birth
as long as you have the ABN you can register as many accounts as you wish.
But all these businesses have different BSBs. it would be interesting to look at the BSBs to see where the branches are, as the addresses are "in" different states. i.e. are the branches in the locality of the businesses?
Extreme Toys Pty Ltd
BSB: 013 141
Interesting. When I made a fake order and reached the payment stage. It was an NAB BSB that was given.
that is ANZ sir
that is ANZ sir
The account info. given NOW is indeed an ANZ one.
However, when I first checked it was a different BSB number and a different account number. I checked it, and it belonged to the head office of NAB in Sydney.
I think that the scammer still had the banking info. from his earlier scam in his web template. In the earlier scam they used NAB/Ubank account(s.
payment method is direct debit. all different banks
Thank you altomic - I guess that you had to go to some trouble to make that list? Did you make a fake order at each site to get to the payment stage and collect that information?
I have contacted the Internet Fraud department at the ANZ bank, and I have sent them your list of account numbers for investigation.
If you, or anyone else, has any more information (or has sent money to these scammers) the ANZ email address is [email protected]
Direct camera Express is located in sydney. but their bsb is of Carrum Downs VIC.
Affordable Appliances is located in Vic but well banks with ANZ in North Sydney
Foneshop is located in Smithfield but banks with ANZ in Martins place..
All this stinks BIG TIME
Direct camera Express is located in sydney. but their bsb is of Carrum Downs VIC.
Affordable Appliances is located in Vic but well banks with ANZ in North Sydney
Foneshop is located in Smithfield but banks with ANZ in Martins place..
All this stinks BIG TIME
Yes, but unfortunately it seems that no one in authority is willing to take any action, or even investigate.
I have tried the Police, the auDA, the registrars, and the bank that appears to be being used. Only the bank asked for more information to be sent to them.
The Registrar used for three of the domains said they will not investigate and said to contact the Police and/or auDA (they did provide a contact name at auDA).
I spoke with the lady at auDA. She said they would do nothing without substantive proof that a domain was registered without the knowledge of the registrant (the company).
Calling ACCC is on my to-do list for the day…
Calling ACCC is on my to-do list for the day…
Good, but other than taking/making a report (which I already did via the ACCC ScamWatch website) I don't know what the ACCC can/will do.
May I request that other OzBargainers also make reports via the ScamWatch.gov.au site ? - And that they contact the auDA via [email protected] ?
Again, I ask if anyone here has a Police contact who may act on this scam would they please let me know?
Why not start a campaign and get a few oz bargainers to buy products but never pay. That is how we caught out one scam site.
Just checked out the fone shop. It is exactly the same site as the phone one who ripped of my friend.
I am pretty sure the fone shop has also been known as techshopping.com.au and archieelectronics.com.au
Anyone else remember these scammers?
Anyone else remember these scammers
Yes. No one was arrested. Scammer got away with most of the money.
It seems that the same thing will happen this time.
Scammer is posting links on Gumtree, but putting them as Wanted Listings.
BRAND NEW IPHONE 5 32GB UNLOCKED $520.00
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/doveton/mobile-phones/brand-n…
BRAND NEW IPHONE 5 16GB UNLOCKED $450.00
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/doveton/mobile-phones/brand-n…
and removed
and removed
Wow, that was quick. I reported them as scams, did you do the same?
Cheers for bringing this to everyone's attention by the way, a bargain for one of these sites was posted earlier this morning and very quickly taken down thanks to this thread. If it wasn't for this thread then it's entirely possible that a bunch of ozbargainers could've been out of hundreds of dollars, even if you struggle to get anywhere with the cops and the ACCC you should be proud of that.
"*All Devices Have Australian Warranty
*All Devices Are Netowrk Unlocked"
Typo on the main banner of website too
I'm not sure why people assume that .com.au domains are more trustworthy than regular .com domains - all scammers need to do is lift the ABN number of an existing business and register whatever domain name they want. I don't even know why AUDA enforces such a system… The only thing it does is restrict .com.au domains from being used by legitimate people (e.g. local community ran sports club).
Shouldn't a local community run sports club be under org.au?
Tyrx, Also I've seen an Iran domain registrar (a couple years ago) where they use their own companies to register ".com.au or .org.au" domains for anyone. Thus .au isn't 100% safe or even aussie.
They only accept bank transfer, which means that you cannot get your money back once you have paid for it. Using PayPal or CC is a lot safer.
I would like to definitely confirm that these sites are scammers and do not buy anything from them.
Unfortunately I must of been the first one to see thefoneshop.com.au site last week and after first checking ASIC for legitimacy of the company and the domain name it all appeared legitimate then I searched the forums and nothing come up on this company so I placed an order for 3 ipads and received the correct legitimate looking paperwork with their account details, I then further rang the NAB (Ubank) they could not give any details because of privacy laws but the girl did tell me that it was legitimate. I even checked the street address on google map and it also appeared ok the only thing I did fail to do is to check the white pages for a phone number (I am so used to buying through eBay and everything is done via email). Thinking it would of been OK I transferred the funds and guess what week and half later no goods, no response to my emails.
Doing a search on the forums today gives me a different picture. I have reported it to the banks involved, Scamwatch consumer affairs in WA and the Queensland police who apparently are the Australian watchdog for internet fraud.
If you have been scammed by these $%^&(@^ don't delay report it to all the relevant authority and close these !@#$%^& down quick and smart for the good of all the legitimate online shops.
the Queensland police link is http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/cscp/eCrime/internet/r…
I personally think the banks have a lot to answer for this and should be made more accountable.
I placed an order for 3 ipads and received the correct legitimate looking paperwork with their account details, I then further rang the NAB (Ubank)
Sorry to hear this.
So you are confirming that it was(last week) a NAB BSB and account number?
It has recently changed to an ANZ one.
The scammer may be rotating and/or changing accounts.
The only (well the main) way the scam was stopped last time was when the NAB FINALLY froze the account due to the overwhelming number of complaints from the public and from other banks.
This new tactic may further slow the bank(s) reaction time(s).
car50tas please post the bank account details that you paid into.
Also, the name and contact details of any Police and or bank officials that have been contacted.
Have you made a ScamWatch report? If not, please do so.
Also please contact the auDA and report the domain. You may want to try the registrar as well. Going by the last one of these scams - they seem to only act after receiving many complaints.
You should also post about your experience in this Whirlpool thread.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2157129
Whirlpool threads rank even higher than OzBargain in Google - so you can help prevent others falling for this scam.
Or you should take some responsibility and stop blaming banks for doing what you requested.
Or you should take some responsibility and stop blaming banks for doing what you requested.
I understood that the comment -
"I personally think the banks have a lot to answer for this and should be made more accountable."
was not addressed to to buyers' banks that made the payments, but was addressed at the scammer's banks that:-
1) allowed accounts to be opened without identifying the person behind the company names.
2) continue to allow these accounts to be used AFTER they have received fraud reports by phone and eMail. When they should freeze them stright away and investigate the complaints.
I am sure the bank staff can read, and have been directed to this thread and to others on Whirlpool.
I don't understand why anyone would buy products from an online store that only accept bank transfer? Wouldn't this immediately ring alarm bells?
I don't understand why anyone would buy products from an online store that only accept bank transfer? Wouldn't this immediately ring alarm bells?
It should, but some are 'lulled' into thinking it is safe by the .com.au and the ABN etc.
This is what this scammer counts on - and why he has refined his scam since last time (only a few months ago).
This time he has chosen companies that can not easily be contacted - so the registrars and the auDA will not remove the domains. Last time the domains were closed down by the registrar(s).
This time he appears to be using many bank accounts and rotating them. Last time the NAB froze his account - far too late as many thousands of dollars were lost.
I don't get why scammers try to do this. Yes they may make (steal) money and get away with it for a short period of time, but they will likely be caught down the track. They are too stupid to realise they may as well go get a job and contribute to society, instead of conning everyone else. rant over
99% of the time, the scammers get away with it. In my fraud case, it took so much work to get everyone to report their issues to police, gather evidence, etc. The guy got weekend in gaol for a year and guess what, he paid none of the money back. They then gave him his passport back and he departed the country. So what's the point? Small time e-crimes are an easy way to make money.
This is a low investment (scummy) way of earning a fair bit of money. Due to the relative "immaturity" in terms of law enforcement for all things "cyber"-related, there is a very high chance they'd get away.
It's all about awareness… and setting an example (think lead-pipe to the kneecap).
I've just been contacted by one of the businesses associated with one of the BSB/Account numbers listed here. They are having issues signing up to OzBargain so this is their story in a nutshell.
I can tell you for a fact that the owner of one of those bank accounts has absolutely no connection whatsoever with any of the four businesses. I know this because it’s my business account!! I have contacted the bank in person and in writing, asking the bank to investigate the matter. I became aware of this issue because I received funds I wasn’t expecting. Thinking some poor soul had made a typo in the payment details on their website, I contacted the bank immediately so funds could be returned. I then decided to do some sleuthing, and Googled my bank account number. I was expecting to find a legitimate business, so I was a little alarmed when I found my bank details in a post about possible scams!
Edited for privacy and clarity
So I don't know why they would pick random bsb & account numbers. This person/business is waiting to hear back from the bank.
My suggestion to car50tas is to ask your bank to reverse the charge. This will need the authorization of the other bank which if it genuinely is a mistake should be returned by the owner of the account.
So I don't know why they would pick random bsb & account numbers. This person/business is waiting to hear back from the bank.
i'm guessing they would only use a bank account they had access to.
i'm guessing they would only use a bank account they had access to.
If the scammer is changing/rotating the BSB and account details, he might have just made a mistake.
As I said previously - I saw a NAB BSB, which later changed to an ANZ one. I should have kept a record of the Account Number.
I've just been contacted by one of the businesses associated with one of the BSB/Account
Please let me know which account it is (so I can notify the ANZ Bank's eFraud department)
-
and please edit the post here by altomic that contains that account detail and remove the BSB and account numbers. Please leave the Company Name.
Also, can you confirm that this business is not connected to/with any of the ABNs used?
The company names are not connected to the bsb/account numbers. Seems like banks don't match up business names with the actual name that people put in their transfer. I think keeping the BSBs will help others find this thread.
AFAIK, banks actually never check the account names (personal or business) because it probably adds to the 'cost' of the transfer. I think that alone should be grounds for a refund if the name is a mismatch for the account number (as in i think that should be the way it works, but probably doesn't because banks are almost as bad as the scammers)
For the time being let's not name the businesses please.
For the time being let's not name the businesses please.
Sorry, but this is unclear.
The businesses/companies used to falsely register the .com.au domains are public information.
Surely you mean the businesses or people connected to the Bank Accounts used on the scam sites? Is this correct?
The actual business names connected to the BSBs/account numbers, not the ones listed. E.G. if you Google them.
Long time lurker first time poster. I just so happen to be in the market for some new kitchen appliances as a unnecessary kitchen renovation is about to take place. I found the appliances site and while the prices looked tempting (not that amazing to be honest) as soon as I saw eft only I dropped the thing entirely. Not a chance.
The funny thing is, I happen to work some 50m away from the listed address. I'll do a drive by tomorrow and snap a photo of the "store" front.
Thank you for all your suggestions.
I have already reported to all the relevant places.
I guess I was a little trustworthy as I have been buying from the internet for 10+ years and this is the first time I have had an issue besides some minor ones, So I guess it will be a lesson for me and hopefully by posting it on the forums my experience will help others to avoid this.
answers to the questions raised the bank account I deposited funds to was NAB BSB 082-991 Acc No 190931470 and yes you are right this week they are using ANZ BSB:012-055 Acc No:251222249.
Unfortunately when you ring the police they refer you to the Queensland Police website and you can only file a fraud report against the company. When and if they contact me I will post names if they are supplied to me.
As for the whirlpool forum I will post it there but would like to let you know that when I searched google with is www.thefoneshop.com.au a scam this forum was at the top hence why I posted here first.
Thank you for all your suggestions.
I have already reported to all the relevant places.
If you do a google search on archieelectronics.com.au and techshopping.com.au you should find lots of whirlpool threads and reviews etc. These will give you some more info. on who to contact at NAB/Ubank.
Please confirm that you have, or will, make a ScamWatch report via web form or by phone (as first recommended by neil).
Please also confirm that you have, or will, contact the registrar (NetRegistry (02) 9934 0501) and auDA (ask for Vanessa at auDA on 1300-732-929) regarding the .com.au being used.
Also I suggest that you gather all info. print it out. Go to your nearest Police Station and request to see a detective. Make a full report and get a name and an indecent/report number/reference.
I will ring NetRegistry and and auDa tomorrow
I have reported it to the banks involved, ScamWatch via web,Consumer affairs in WA via phone they were very helpful and the Queensland police who apparently are the Australian watchdog for internet fraud but you can only do it via the web link http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/cscp/eCrime/internet/r…. The police station refers you back to Queensland website because the company involved is the east and I am in WA.
I will follow the Whirlpooh forum and post their later tonight.
The police station refers you back to Queensland website because the company involved is the east and I am in WA.
However, the company is not involved. The scammer just used their ACN and company name. The other companies he used are all over the place.
Police have to investigate:- Check the payment method(s) used at the registrars and the hosting businesses. Check the logs and trace IP numbers used when making payments and uploading web sites.
Otherwise the scammer will get away with the scam again.
From what I was told by the WA Consumer affairs the internet fraud squad headed by the Queensland Police are the best department to trace the bank account and seize any assets in there. I have provided as much info to them as I could.
best department to trace the bank account and seize any assets in there.
Also post on the uBank and NAB facebook pages - that is what others did last time.
https://www.facebook.com/ubank
And please read this thread ->
Consider down voting the sites on web of trust as well.
Consider down voting the sites on web of trust as well.
Link please.
I'd like to point out that http://www.xtremegopro.com.au stole the ABN off some one else and the real owner of Extreme Toys Pty Ltd who own the ABN has reported them to ASIC and ACCC. It's on a whirlpool thread. This guy running those sites is definitely a scam artist.
I'd like to point out that http://www.xtremegopro.com.au stole the ABN off some one else and the real owner of Extreme Toys Pty Ltd who own the ABN has reported them to ASIC and ACCC. It's on a whirlpool thread. This guy running those sites is definitely a scam artist.
Of course we already knew that the ACN/ABN were fraudulently used to register all the domains involved. Just as was done the last time this scammer used this scam.
As you seem to have access to post on Whilpool perhaps you could inform them that the real owner of Extreme Toys Pty Ltd has to inform the auDA of the fraudulent domain registration.
Vanessa at auDA and the registrar both informed me that this is the only way that the domain name can be removed from the registry.
Well i left a comment in the whirlpool forum thread about what you said. I don't know the real owner myself though. I was just going by a comment left in the whirlpool thread about it.
I was going to post this much earlier but unfortunately been a new user you are limited to 5 post per 24hrs.
I can now see why this people get away with it. I rang auDA and they only quote you regulations but are powerless to do anything and told me to report it to NetRegistry. So I rang NetRegistry who are the registrar for thefoneshop.com.au domain name,
this was there response
""It's a trading matter.
If ACCC or Fair Trading investigate and request us to take some action we work with them to a resolution. It's something we have done many times previously.
What we aren't is a law enforcement body. We can't adjudicate on who may be doing illegal activities and then take unilateral action. That simply exposes us to litigation.
I would encourage you to report the matter to your local Fair Trading body. That's what they are there for"
I replied back with I thought we had rules about registering com.au names
this was their reply
There are no 'strict rules'.
Only you need to have a valid ABN and the domain needs in some way to related to that.
http://www.abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbn.aspx?SearchText=1…
So yes they have a live ABN. Yes the domain relates to that.
As a domain registrar, that's by and large the extent of our concern.
It seems that we have some regulations about registering com.au domain names yet it is still very easy to obtain someone else's company details and then register a domain name. You would think the first responsibility would be to verify the person applying is who he/she says it is and is appointed to act on behalf of the company since you need to have an ABN to register.
It appears we have all this regulatory bodies looking after the internet but no one has the power to act when things go wrong.
So this could take weeks if not month to get shut down. During this time how many others will fall victims? Hopefully no one.
It appears we have all this regulatory bodies looking after the internet but no one has the power to act when things go wrong.
So this could take weeks if not month to get shut down. During this time how many others will fall victims? Hopefully no one.
This is what happened last time.
It took far too long to deregister/remove the domain names, and even longer to freeze the bank account.
Even then, these actions were not done 'legally'. The pressure brought on the domain registrar by the number of complaints and bad publicity on numerous forums and review sites etc. caused them to disable the domains. The same goes for the bank NBA/Ubank - it was not Police action, it was bad publicity and the number of reports, emails, Facebook postings and phone calls, from the public and other banks, that caused them to freeze the account.
This time it may take even longer, because the scammer has refined their scam.
Also the scammer has probably seen this thread so they are taking action fast.
Also the scammer has probably seen this thread so they are taking action fast.
What action?
Scam is working exactly as planned.
No need for any 'action'. Scammer does same thing as last time. Sits back and collects all the money coming in.
Since their is a requirement to have a valid ABN number for com.au the domain registrar should be made responsible to ensure that the person registering and the domain name actually belongs to the ABN quoted. This would stop ABN's been stolen and at least then the ACCC can take action if the company gets up to no good because they have someone to prosecute.
If anyone has any idea how we could put pressure on the ACCC to make the domain registrar responsible please share it with us.
One possibility could be is to lobby our local member of parliament.
I was requested to place money into Ubank account #190931470 be sure to talk to u-bank because NAB staff cannot see this account..
Last time I opened an account I had to indetify myself, surely police can track this person down, if they were serous
Hi all I ordered and after a while realised I got scammed and found this forum…when you need something fast and a solution for your business , well I didn't check..
Bummer. any tips for a victorian? Doesnt seem like we can do much. Ill check with my lawyer and if there is a solution ill post it up.
sheb
Hi all I ordered and after a while realised I got scammed and found this forum…when you need something fast and a solution for your business , well I didn't check..
any tips for a victorian? Doesnt seem like we can do much. Ill check with my lawyer and if there is a solution ill post it up.
From which site did you order?
Please spend some time doing everything suggested elsewhere in this thread.
Hi guys,
Just realised this forum was up - I've made a purchase through www.directcamerawarehouse.com.au last week (16/9) into a NAB account:
BSB: 082-991 (NAB)
Account: 190940510
I've contacted my bank, who will lodge a formal investigation, but they said it will take 2-8 weeks! I called up NAB and asked them about the account, but the customer service rep said that they couldn't do anything on their end until my bank lodged an investigation themselves. Looking at this forum, as well as the whirlpool one, it seems like they've recently switched to a ANZ bank account. What's the best way to go from here? In 2-8 weeks they'll likely be on to their next scam!
Thanks!
BSB: 082-991 (NAB)
Account: 190940510I called up NAB and asked them about the account, but the customer service rep said that they couldn't do anything on their end until my bank lodged an investigation themselves.
Call back. Ask for their Fraud Department and/or a supervisor and/or someone in management. Their lack of action last time made them look really bad. They would/should not want this to happen again.
Insist that they consider at least freezing the account while they investigate. Otherwise they could be seen as being complicit in the scam (as was suggest many time the last time this same scam was run).
Also, do the other things mentioned in this thread. Post on Whirlpool. Report to the ACCC and ScamWatch, attend a Police Station and insist on making a report to a detective, try the Qld. Online Fraud Reporting anyway. Don't forget to call Vanessa at the auDA, and to call the domain registrar (make sure to insist on talking to someone in management - or to have that someone call you).
We are happy to preemptively ban these sites but do you have any evidence of this being a scam?