Sunshine Coast Council Mayor, Rosanna Natoli, is urging community members to beware of fake social media messaging after she became the victim of multiple cyber impersonation attempts this week.
Mayor Natoli has one official Council Facebook account – Mayor Rosanna Natoli – but says fake accounts have been set-up in her name.
As well as fake profile social media accounts, the scammers have allegedly been messaging and Skype calling people asking for personal information, bank details and organising meetings, she said.
“Please know that I would never seek money from community members or send links to organise or join meetings via social media platforms,” Mayor Natoli 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.”
The Mayor and Council have reported the issue to the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Cyber Security Centre and say they will continue to monitor the situation.
In the wake of the incident, Sunshine Coast District Officer Acting Superintendent Chris Toohey (pictured with Mayor Natoli) has urged caution when communicating with people online.
“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.”
The Council has also warned of scam phone callers saying they are from Council and asking residents for personal information or asking to visit their home.
“Council does not contact customers asking for personal information. If in doubt, please contact Council to verify the contact is legitimate,” it said in a statement.
Facebook users can check the page ID to ensure they are following Mayor Natoli’s account. When viewing her page, click about, click page transparency and check the page ID is 245083698695401.
The Mayor’s Facebook URL is www.facebook.com/MayorRosannaNatoliOfficial.
