Police wish to warn the public to be mindful of the ongoing threat posed by online scams. A recent email detected claims to be from a popular South Australian organisation and contains a link to purchase solar panels.

This is a ‘phishing’ email and clicking on the link will take the user to a fake website. The fake website will prompt the user to enter personal details, including an email address and password.

These details can be used by cyber-criminals to steal the user's identity and if funds are transferred it is highly likely that they will not be recovered.

Phishing emails often contain spelling and grammatical errors which would not be expected from the organisation from which the email was supposedly sent, so it is important to carefully read the finer details of the email content. Other phishing methods may include text and social media messages.

Take the time to think before following links or clicking on a button contained within emails or messages and if unsure ring the business on a known and reputable number, not the number contained in the email or message.

Always be open to the possibility that the message you have received may be a dishonest phishing attempt designed to deceive you!

For further information on scams affecting South Australians, please visit www.police.sa.gov.au/scams

Alternatively, you can find more information on scams at www.cyber.gov.au