November 28 update:
Leader readers have been urged again to be wary of scam emails asking them to pay fake fines.
A St George resident called the Leader on Friday saying she received an email on Thursday, allegedly from the Office of State Revenue, asking her to pay an ''unpaid parking fine'' that she was not aware of.
The woman said the email looked legitimate until her virus filter posted a caution that it may not be real. So she called police who confirmed it was a scam email.
As reported below (see earlier story), police warn that “Neither the Office of State Revenue nor the State Debt Recovery Office issue fines or penalty notices via email in the first instance''.
People should phone the SDRO call centre directly on 1300 655 805 to determine whether the fine is real or a scam.
November 5:
NSW Police are warning people to be wary of scam emails which asks them to pay fake fines.
The scam is believed to have been hatched by criminals in Europe.
Fraud and Cybercrime Squad commander, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, said that while the emails appeared legitimate, they were fake.
“Neither the Office of State Revenue nor the State Debt Recovery Office issue fines or penalty notices via email in the first instance,’’ he said.
‘‘If you receive a notice via email, be sure to make a number of inquiries before responding to the email or paying the fine.
“People who receive one of these emails should log on to the SDRO website – www.sdro.nsw.gov.au – and enter the penalty or infringement number and offence date to check the validity of their fine.
“They can phone the SDRO call centre directly on 1300 655 805 to determine whether the fine is real or a scam.’’
Have you come across any of these scam emails?