Pathfinding in the financial jungle: avoiding scams, swindles frauds and hoaxes State Library of Western Australia Presented by: Frances Hammond, Subject Specialist Business State Library of WA September 2007

DISCLAIMERS This presentation does not constitute financial advice and should not be taken as such. The State Library urges you to obtain professional advice before proceeding with any investment. The State Library does not accept any liability for any investment decisions made on the basis of this information. Links to other websites are inserted for convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites or any other organisation’s product or service. These external information sources are outside our control. It is the responsibility of individuals to make their own decisions about the accuracy, currency and reliability of the information they access. Before relying on the material in any important matter, users should carefully evaluate the information for their purposes and should obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. See also http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/disclaimer.html State Library of Western Australia

This presentation does not constitute financial advice and should not be taken as such. The State Library urges you to obtain professional advice before proceeding with any investment. The State Library does not accept any liability for any investment decisions made on the basis of this information.

Links to other websites are inserted for convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites or any other organisation’s product or service. These external information sources are outside our control.

It is the responsibility of individuals to make their own decisions about the accuracy, currency and reliability of the information they access. Before relying on the material in any important matter, users should carefully evaluate the information for their purposes and should obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.

See also http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/disclaimer.html

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Opportunity of a lifetime? Scam? Swindle? Fraud? Hoax? How can you tell? “Getting advice : a practical guide to personal financial advice” Internet research State Library of Western Australia

Opportunity of a lifetime?

Scam? Swindle? Fraud?

Hoax?

How can you tell?

“Getting advice : a practical guide to personal financial advice”

Internet research

State Library of Western Australia Where to start investigating: Investment opportunities Businesses and franchising Common consumer scams Email hoaxes

Where to start investigating:

Investment opportunities

Businesses and franchising

Common consumer scams

Email hoaxes

Investment “opportunities” Check out a scheme… FIDO (ASIC) WA ScamNet (DoCEP) SCAMwatch (ACCC) Jenman Ethics in Real Estate Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (Ebscohost Database) Google it! Become an informed investor… ASX – click on Education for more information SLWA Information Gateways for: Personal Investment Unclaimed Money State Library of Western Australia

Check out a scheme…

FIDO (ASIC)

WA ScamNet (DoCEP)

SCAMwatch (ACCC)

Jenman Ethics in Real Estate

Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (Ebscohost Database)

Google it!

Become an informed investor…

ASX – click on Education for more information

SLWA Information Gateways for:

Personal Investment

Unclaimed Money

Some useful links from the FIDO site: How to spot a financial scam Use the laws that protect you from scams State Library of Western Australia

Some useful links from the FIDO site:

How to spot a financial scam

Use the laws that protect you from scams

State Library of Western Australia

State Library of Western Australia

Businesses and Franchises ACCC SCAMwatch Small business scams Small business easy access point E.g. The Franchisee Manual WA ScamNet Jenman Ethics in RealEstate Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (EbscoHost) Google it! Become an informed business operator… business.gov.au SLWA Information Gateway for Starting a Business State Library of Western Australia

ACCC

SCAMwatch Small business scams

Small business easy access point

E.g. The Franchisee Manual

WA ScamNet

Jenman Ethics in RealEstate

Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (EbscoHost)

Google it!

Become an informed business operator…

business.gov.au

SLWA Information Gateway for Starting a Business

State Library of Western Australia

Common Consumer Scams For Example: Advance Fee Fraud – Nigerian Letter Scams on ASIC’s Fido site Prizes and Lotteries on WA Scamnet Psychics on WA Scamnet Find more on: WA ScamNet SCAMwatch FIDO (ASIC) Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (EBSCOHost database) Google Directory Fraud listing Become an informed consumer: ACCC scam publications online (including the Little Black Book of Scams) SLWA Information Gateways for Scams, swindles, frauds and hoaxes Consumer Protection Law State Library of Western Australia

For Example:

Advance Fee Fraud – Nigerian Letter Scams on ASIC’s Fido site

Prizes and Lotteries on WA Scamnet

Psychics on WA Scamnet

Find more on:

WA ScamNet

SCAMwatch

FIDO (ASIC)

Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (EBSCOHost database)

Google Directory Fraud listing

Become an informed consumer:

ACCC scam publications online (including the Little Black Book of Scams)

SLWA Information Gateways for

Scams, swindles, frauds and hoaxes

Consumer Protection Law

State Library of Western Australia

State Library of Western Australia

Email Hoaxes Inboxer Rebellion - Urban Legends Reference Pages (Snopes) WA ScamNet – email scams SCAMwatch Mailfrontier field guide to phishing State Library of Western Australia

Inboxer Rebellion - Urban Legends Reference Pages (Snopes)

WA ScamNet – email scams

SCAMwatch

Mailfrontier field guide to phishing

State Library of Western Australia If it look too good to be true… It probably is! Finally…

Need more help? Contact the State Library’s Business Subject Specialists: Pam Phelan Tel: 08 9427 3213 E-mail: [email_address] Jo Roberts Tel: 08 9427 3205 E-mail: [email_address] Frances Hammond Tel: 08 9427 3456 E-mail: [email_address] Ask a librarian – contact the State Library reference services: http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/refserv.html State Library of Western Australia

Contact the State Library’s Business Subject Specialists:

Pam Phelan Tel: 08 9427 3213 E-mail: [email_address]

Jo Roberts Tel: 08 9427 3205 E-mail: [email_address]

Frances Hammond Tel: 08 9427 3456 E-mail: [email_address]

Ask a librarian – contact the State Library reference services: http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/refserv.html