Scammers hit householders

The Government and financial institutions across the country are warning the public to be vigilant of phone and internet scams in the lead up to Christmas.

According to banks, increasing numbers of people are being tricked into handing over money and personal information to scammers.

Many are falling victim to a new scam where householders are phoned by persons posing as a representatives from large software companies.

Callers claim there are viruses or errors on home computers which can be fixed for a small fee.

Worried householders hand over credit card details and download software onto their computers.

Gizmo computer repairs manager Ayesch Amir warns that large software companies do not call customers out of the blue.

"It's not likely whatsoever that Microsoft would be calling cutomers."

Mr Amir says companies like Microsoft do not have the capacity to identify errors on individual computers.

Despite this many people still receive these calls.

Floreat resident Harrison Hills recalls his experience with a scammer.

"“I had this guy call me up out of the blue and he said ‘we’ve identified some viruses on your computer’, he was with Microsoft and if he applied a software program to my computer he’d be able to fix it all. I just had to give him my credit card details as payment. ”

Fortunately, Mr Hills noticed something awry with the call and did not hand his over personal information.

”He was from Microsoft and I have a Mac, so it just seemed a bit weird as soon as he said that.”

But less savvy members of the public routinely fall prey to these scams.

For those who do give over credit card details and lose money to scammers, there is little that can be done to recover the funds.

Police and Nurses Credit Society web and electronic banking manager Michael Butcher says it is difficult for financial institutions to help customers recover funds.

“Financial institutions can help them to ensure there’s no further drawings on accounts and on cards, but recovering the money they’ve sent is very difficult because of the fact they have actually volunteered their information, it hasn’t been stolen, they’ve actually handed it over.”

Mr Butcher advises the public to be sceptical of such calls.

“If you get an unsolicited phone call where they're asking you to do things- download software, give out credit card details - just don't do it."

To learn more about protecting yourself against financial scams, go to scamwatch.gov.au.

*Radio Script

UN Calls for Nuclear Weapons Ban

Delegates have used this week's meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to push for a complete ban on nuclear weapons.

Currently, no multilateral treaty may force a nation to either disarm or reduce its nuclear stockpile.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is hoping this will change as it launches a global campaign against nuclear weapons.