ING scam: The sinister new email bank plot scamming Aussies out of their cash – here are the tricks to look out for
ING scam: The sinister new email banking conspiracy scamming Australians out of their money – here are the tricks to watch out for
Australians are being warned about a sneaky new scam in which an email purportedly from a major bank offers higher interest rates on term deposits.
The e-mail trick shows a brochure with a letterhead and telephone number of ING that offers favorable time deposits.
The six-page brochure tells customers that the bank offers interest rates from 5.25 percent to 6.45 percent on term deposits, between three months and five years.
Scammers email people fake brochures claiming to be from ING about favorable interest rates on term deposits
The brochure informs customers about the options to make deposits from $25,000 to $250,000.
The false document was sent to people via an unofficial ING email address.
It contains several prints of the ING logo, which can be recognized by the striking orange and black colours.
The front page of the brochure features a print of two children in the background, with the page titled ‘Term Deposit Rate 2023’.
Below the main heading is a subtitle in orange that reads ‘ING Bank (Australia) Limited’.
A number found in the booklet reveals the fake plan, after confronting the scammer 2GB radio presenter Chris O’Keefe on his program on Thursday.
After a short pre-recorded message that sounded like an ING spokeswoman, the scammer then answers.
‘ING, how can I help you today?’ you hear the scammer say.
He then puts the call on hold after being confronted by O’Keefe about the scam, before hanging up.
O’Keefe then calls the number several times, at one point asking the scammer, “Why are you scamming people?”
The fake document offers higher interest rates on deposits, ranging from 5.25 percent to 6.45 percent on deposits with terms from three months to five years
An ING spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the brochure is a scam and that the bank has notified its customers of the incident on its website. website.
ING encourages all customers to visit the ING security page for regular updates on scams. Customers can also report scams via this page,’ said the spokesperson.
According to the ING website, the interest rate for a two-year term deposit is 4.95 percent.
The brochure contains logos and prints of the orange and black ING logo to appear legitimate
An ING spokesperson confirmed that the brochure is a scam and urged customers and anyone emailed to ensure they verify the document and email address
The highest rate the bank offers is just 5.05 percent, which is for a one-year deposit.
In April, a report was published by the ACCC revealed that Australians lost $3.1 billion to scams by 2022, prompting the federal government to allocate $86.5 million to tackle online fraud.