Radiusone, Phone Life & Phone Mart

Innocent people are being caught-up in a cheap mobile phone scam, with scammers targeting legitimate job-hunters and involving them in a scam to dupe consumers who are looking to buy a new device.

Scam sites include:

• Radiusone
• Phone Life
• Phone Mart

This scam has cost Western Australians $7,716 so far and works in two ways:

• Step one: Scammers are posting job adverts on social media, classified sites and legitimate employment-seeking webpages stating they’ll pay up to $1,500 a month for someone to post daily adverts for cheap Apple or Samsung phones.
• Step two: When consumers spot the adverts and respond, the ‘employee’ sends them a link to a scam Facebook page containing the phoney phones and are instructed to pay via bank transfer for adevice they’ll never receive.

The job is illegal and the phones don’t exist – so stay away from ‘opportunities’ like these that might seem too good to be true.

Alger Link Gadgets

WA ScamNet previously received reports from victims losing money to the fake Facebook page Alger Link Gadgets which claimed to have a location at the Westfield Whitford City Shopping Centre. This is not true and the page has been removed by Facebook.

How to protect yourself

When buying a phone:

• Be wary of websites selling goods well below market prices.
• Be cautious of online retailers who accept bank transfers as their only method of payment
• Use payment methods such as credit card or PayPal which allow you to dispute transactions when you do not receive the goods or something else goes wrong.
• Take the time to locate the real website of the legitimate business and contact them independently to verify their offer is genuine.
• Do an internet search of the website and business to get comments and reviews from other consumers who have used the same site.

When looking for work:

• Be wary of unsolicited or out-of-the-blue calls, emails or job offers even if they state they are a registered business with an ABN.
• Be cautious about any job offer that involves transferring money, especially if you have to use your personal bank account or you are asked to create a new account for this particular job.
• People who believe they are being used as money mules should contact WA ScamNet on 1300 304 054, WA Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers WA on 1800 333 000.
• Do some digging – a simple online search or phone call may be enough to confirm that a business, company or trading premises is fake, unregistered or being impersonated.
• Guard your personal information including your CV, tax file number and any proof-of-identity documents such as a scan of your passport or driver's licence.