- A scam seniors card website is
attempting to charge applicants a fee for WA Seniors Card membership
- Seniors should be aware that WA Seniors
Card membership is always free
- The official website is www.seniorscard.wa.gov.au
- Seniors should never disclose their
bank or credit card details in exchange for a WA Seniors Card
Western Australian
seniors are being urged to be aware of a scam WA Seniors Card website which
attempts to charge applicants a fee in exchange for a Seniors Card.
Seniors and Ageing
Minister Don Punch and Commerce Minister Sue Ellery have warned seniors of the
existence of the bogus portal, www.seniorsportal.au, which claims to be
'officially approved' and charges applicants a fee of $29 per card.
Seniors should be aware
that the legitimate WA Seniors Card is always free of charge and applicants are
never requested to pay a fee or disclose their bank or credit card details in
exchange for membership.
The official WA Seniors
Card is www.seniorscard.wa.gov.au.
Applicants should look
for the official State crest to ensure they are accessing a trusted and secure
website before proceeding with an application for membership.
The
bogus website has been reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. If you have provided your
information or payment to an unofficial website, please contact WA Consumer
Protection on 1300 304 054 or email consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au.
For further assistance
contact the WA Seniors
Card team on 1800 671 233 or email info@seniorscard.wa.gov.au
Comments attributed to
Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch:
"Seniors
need to be aware of the existence of this scam website and ensure they are
accessing the correct site before proceeding with an application.
"Remember,
the WA Seniors Card is always free of charge, and you will never be asked to
disclose your bank or credit card details when applying for WA Seniors Card
membership.
"Don't hesitate to contact the WA Seniors Card team on 1800 671 233 or email info@seniorscard.wa.gov.au if you have any concerns or questions."
Comments attributed to
Commerce Minister Sue Ellery:
"This bogus site is yet
another example of the insidious methods employed by scammers to take advantage
of vulnerable people.
"As always, I urge people to
exercise caution and 'practice the pause', which involves stopping to think
before clicking on a link or attachment in an email or transferring any
hard-earned money.
"I urge all Western
Australians to become scam smart, spread the word about how to identify and
avoid scams and contact Consumer Protection if in need of advice."
