Commonwealth Bank's fresh alert for millions over mass text message
The latest text scam, which purports to be sent by the bank, claims your Award points are about to expire. It then urges you not to 'miss out' and requests you to click on a suspicious link to redeem your points.
Commonwealth Bank said the fraudulent SMS message campaign may also try and trick you by asking you to call a phone number, reply to the message to activate a link, or share sensitive details, including your banking credentials.
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'These messages might seem legitimate, and may even show up in the same thread as real messages from us, however, they are not from CommBank,' the major bank said.
'We will not ask you to redeem points via a link in an email or SMS message.'
Commonwealth Bank said customers should only access their digital banking from the CommBank app or by navigating directly to the CBA website, never via a link in a text message.
'Be suspicious of any message that asks you for sensitive information, or to complete tasks like updating software, or giving remote access via email or text,' it said.
Customers can contact the bank by visiting it's official website.Scam losses increase to $119 million
Australians lost about $119 million to scams in the first four months of 2025, according to Scamwatch data released by the National Anti-Scam Centre.
Despite a 24 per cent drop in overall scam reports to 72,230, reported losses increased 28 per cent compared to the same time last year.
The biggest increase came from phishing scams, which are where scammers impersonate entities such as government agencies or financial institutions like the major banks. This made up $13.7 million in financial losses, compared to $4.6 million in early 2024.
'Scams are affecting Australians of all ages, often beginning with an unprompted or unexpected contact via social media and other digital platforms,' ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
The banking sector recently rolled out 'confirmation of payee', which is designed to combat scam losses by telling customers when a payment recipient's name does not match other account details.Sign in to access your portfolio
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Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Warning over caravan trend as 'cowboy' players in Aussie industry face growing scrutiny
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He says there remains a lack of regulation to ensure manufacturers adequately test their vehicles before selling them to the market. "Caravans and campers can be approved for sale after only minimal internal quality checks, and in some cases limited road testing of just 5,000 to 7,000 km," he told Yahoo News. "This is despite the fact that a typical lap around Australia covers over 17,000 km, often through extreme conditions including rough roads, red dust and prolonged exposure to heat and humidity." According to Forbes, Australian manufacturers of vans and related accessories took in $17 billion in 2023 as the industry hit a new peak. It's also become an increasingly crowded space – albeit not without some casualties. Last year, the collapse of retailer Tango Caravans left customers expecting the delivery of a van losing as much as $80,000 and $94,000. "You're seeing small manufacturers come and go every few months. They come and go because they build rubbish ... It's an industry of cowboys, but it can be fixed," David told Yahoo. The manufacturing veteran wants to see robust national standards and enforcement mechanisms introduced through the Australian Design Rules (overseen by the Department of Infrastructure) to ensure caravan manufacturers adhere to a more meaningful testing regime. "There's nothing to stop you or I from starting a business, going down the road and leasing a factory for a couple of years and buying a chassis from a chassis manufacturer — there's quite a few — then building a van and then selling it without any real thorough testing," he said. Caravanner's $600 mistake prompts simple Starlink reminder Calls for urgent action to tackle caravan crash rates on Aussie roads Brazen $300,000 act prompts 'crucial' caravan warning Due to the expansive size of our continent, Australian caravans cover exceptionally long distances when travelling. That factor coupled with lots of dirt roads, heat and humidity can mean caravans are often experiencing defects, especially by the time they get to the secondhand market, he said. "Humidity in particular — especially in tropical and coastal regions — can accelerate structural failure in poorly sealed joints, laminated panels, and adhesive bonds. The salty air common in coastal areas adds further risk, promoting corrosion in metal frames, fasteners, and underbody components." Yahoo has reported on multiple cases of panel joints, or J moulds, becoming leaky as they come apart. Described as "one of the biggest problems in the RV industry" it can end up costing owners as much as $10,000, one industry specialist recently told us. In December 2023, Crusader Caravans paid a $33,000 fine over misleading consumers about waterproofing testing. 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The ACCC declined to comment on the topic when contacted by Yahoo. David believes it could turn into a serious problem for consumer regulators down the road. Caravan buyers protected by Australian Consumer Law David contacted Yahoo after reading about a buyer who was sold an Avan caravan that was heavier than advertised, meaning he could only have 40kg of luggage and belongings in the vehicle so as to not exceed the designated weight for the single axle caravan. In the end, the ordeal cost him $7,000 to get a new axle in order to safely tow his van. Yahoo was subsequently contacted by another customer who had experienced the exact same issue. David believes in a lot of cases it is the dealership, rather than the manufacturer, who is responsible for adding on last-minute extras that push the weight past appropriate and roadworthy limits. In October 2023, the ACCC put out a press release warning caravan retailers of misrepresenting the weights of their vehicles. 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Digital Trends
14 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
'Fraudsters' steal KLM's customer data, here's what they took and what to do about it
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KLM has not named the specific third-party vendor specifically, although they did state the third party vendor product was 'on an external platform we use for customer service'. This could suggest a platform like Salesforce for example. Data exposed: Includes first and last names, contact details, Flying Blue numbers and tiers, email subject lines, and agent remarks—no financial or travel booking info was hit. Includes first and last names, contact details, Flying Blue numbers and tiers, email subject lines, and agent remarks—no financial or travel booking info was hit. Swift action: KLM claims teams have contained the breach, beefed up defenses, and notified Dutch authorities per GDPR rules. A KLM spokesperson said: 'We deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused you,' stated Barry ter Voert, Chief Experience Officer, in emails sent out to customers This is important because… Supply chain vulnerabilities: Highlights risks in third-party vendors, a common weak link in breaches, as seen in the recent CrowdStrike fallout. Highlights risks in third-party vendors, a common weak link in breaches, as seen in the recent CrowdStrike fallout. Phishing surge potential: Exposed data could supercharge scams, making fake KLM messages seem legit, per cybersecurity experts. Exposed data could supercharge scams, making fake KLM messages seem legit, per cybersecurity experts. Industry pattern: Joins a string of airline hacks, like British Airways' 2018 breach affecting 380,000 customers and Cathay Pacific's massive 2018 data theft. Why I should care? 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If you receive unexpected messages or phone calls, especially asking for personal information or urging you to take action, please check their authenticity. We have reported this incident to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens), in accordance with data protection laws. We understand the concern this may cause, and we deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused you. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the KLM Customer Contact Center. Yours sincerely, KLM N.V. Barry ter Voert Chief Experience Officer & EVP Business Development'


Bloomberg
15 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Wealth Firms Are Preparing Richest Australians for Pension Tax Fallout
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