The mayor of the Sunshine Coast is urging people to be alert on social media amid revelations fake accounts have been set up in her name.
Rosanna Natoli has one official council Facebook account but a media release said she had been the subject of multiple impersonation attempts.
Mayor Natoli and the council have made reports to the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and will continue to monitor the situation.
As well as creating fake profiles, scammers have allegedly been messaging and Skype calling people asking for personal information, bank details and organising meetings.
“Please know that I would never seek money from community members or send links to organise or join meetings via social media platforms,” she said.
“To help keep everyone safe, please be vigilant.
“We encourage anyone who has received social media or other communications via a fake profile to report this behaviour to the social media network it’s occurring on, the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
“Don’t be fooled by these scammers and take steps to protect yourself from cybercrime.”
Sunshine Coast District Officer Acting Superintendent Chris Toohey said cybercrime was a criminal offence.
“Please be cautious when communicating with people online and if in doubt do not engage,” he said.
“If you think you have provided your financial details or sent money to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately and report the incident to police.”
Residents have also warned about scam phone callers saying they are from council and asking residents for personal information or asking to visit their home.
The council does not contact customers asking for personal information. If in doubt, contact council to verify the contact is legitimate.
Facebook users can check the page ID to ensure they are following Mayor Natoli’s Facebook account. When viewing her page, click about, click page transparency and check the page ID is 245083698695401.
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