Online scams and fraud are designed to trick you into disclosing your personal information or giving away your money. Anyone can be targeted, so it’s important to always remain vigilant.

We are aware of a current email phishing campaign targeting Australian renters. The email claims to be from the recipient’s real estate agency and asks the recipient to change the account details into which they are paying rent.

We know of renters, and non-renters, who have received versions of this email claiming to be from various real estate brands across Australia.

Phishing is a common way scammers try to trick you into giving them personal information such as username and passwords, verification codes, and bank account details. Phishing attempts come via email, where scammers use different social engineering tactics to impersonate reputable senders, like your bank or real estate agency.

Knowing how to protect yourself from phishing can go a long way toward helping you protect your personal information. Here are four easy steps you can take today:

More tips on how to secure your email and stay safe online can be found at cyber.gov.au.

Here are some tell-tale signs of a phishing email, along with an example of a current email phishing campaign targeting Australian renters:

This might be unusual, misspelt or slightly different from the correct email address.

Phishing emails are sent out to hundreds of people at once, so use generic greetings and sign-offs. They often don’t include contact details. In the example below, the email does not include the renter’s name, the rental property address, or the name of the property manager.

This can be a tell-tale sign, but it isn’t always the case. In the example below, ‘property management’ is misspelt.

Phishing emails will often encourage you to click a link or download an attachment to avoid a problem to create a sense of urgency.

If you are unsure, verify the request for information from the sender by using a phone number or email address you know to be correct. Do not use the contact details you have been sent via email.

If you are concerned that have been a victim of a scam, please report it to the Australian Government's Scamwatch.

If you receive a suspicious email or see a transaction in your Ailo account that you are unsure of, please report your concerns to Ailo by emailing hello@ailo.io.

For more information on Ailo’s security and how we safeguard your data, please visit ailo.io/security.