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How FAKE friend request from someone pretending to be Kyle Sandilands left woman $600 out of pocket

How FAKE friend request from someone pretending to be Kyle Sandilands left woman $600 out of pocket 2

How a FAKE friend request from someone pretending to be Kyle Sandilands left one woman $600 out of pocket

  • Woman was told in a reply from a faked Sandilands that she had won $1,000
  • They then said they needed her bank account details to pay her the money 
  • Then she got a phone call from her bank that left her scared and panicked

A woman has revealed how she was scammed out of almost $600 after getting a Facebook friend request from someone posing as shock jock Kyle Sandilands.

Marina, from Sydney, answered a question on what appeared to be the Kyle and Jackie O page, then got a response claiming to be from the KIIS FM breakfast presenter. 

She said the reply from Sandilands told her she had won $1,000. 

Then the person said they needed her details to pay her the prize.

Marina (pictured) was caught up in an online scam after getting a friend request from someone pretending to be Kyle Sandilands

Marina (pictured) was caught up in an online scam after getting a friend request from someone pretending to be Kyle Sandilands

‘I didn’t think much of it as it was a reply after my comment,’ she told 7News. 

Marina was then asked to fill out a questionnaire, which she did. 

At the end, it said to click for further prizes and discounts, so she kept going along.

But then she was asked to provide her bank details so she could get her prize money.

Marina messaged the person asking why, and was told it was just a procedural matter, that she was going to be ‘charged $0.01 to activate account’.

So she paid it, not having any idea of what would happen next.  

The next day, Marina got a phone call from her bank that left her scared and panicked.

Kyle Sandilands (pictured right) and his KIIS FM co-host Jackie O, are two celebrities whose names have been used by scammers

Kyle Sandilands (pictured right) and his KIIS FM co-host Jackie O, are two celebrities whose names have been used by scammers

Scammers often use the names of celebrities such as Kyle Sandilands when trying to rip people off

Scammers often use the names of celebrities such as Kyle Sandilands when trying to rip people off

‘My bank called to question if I’d authorised an $89 payment and a $500 payment as the seller was overseas,’ she said.

Marina said she had not, ‘and then I started panicking’.

She was fortunate her bank spotted it and called her so quickly. The bank refunded her $589 after cancelling her card.

Marina realises how lucky she was the bank checked with her. ‘If they didn’t they would have kept taking my money out,’ she said.

A spokesman for Sandilands told Daily Mail Australia that he had seen the story

‘He’ll be discussing and commenting on it during (Tuesday’s) radio broadcast,’ he said. 

KIIS FM released a statement saying it never asks people for their card details. 

‘Do your research when you’re asked for this sensitive information… If it looks dodgy, if it looks fake, it’s probably not us,’ the radio station said.  

KIIS FM WARNS PEOPLE TO BE WARY OF SCAMS USING KYLE SANDILANDS’ NAME 

‘KIIS, Kyle and Jackie O will never ever ask you for your card details.

‘We do not need your card details to give you a prize. If you really think about it, why would we need your credit card details? It makes no sense.’

KIIS said if you are a winner of a prize, you will be asked to provide basic details such as your name and phone number.

‘That’s it – that’s all they need,’ they said.

‘You then get texted a link so it’s all through texting. That’s where you fill out other stuff but you’ll never fill out your card details – guaranteed.’ 

KIIS FM has warned people to be wary of scammers using Kyle Sandilands' and Jackie O's names to try to rip them off

KIIS FM has warned people to be wary of scammers using Kyle Sandilands’ and Jackie O’s names to try to rip them off

KIIS has warned people to check the profile of someone offering them a prize for a blue verification tick.

‘Always look out for the blue tick… If there’s no tick, it’s fake,’ they said. 

‘If there’s spelling mistakes, it’s fake. If it’s Kyle, it’s fake because Kyle is not on social media. So anyone claiming to be ‘Kyle Sandilands’, ‘Kylie Sandilands’, ‘Kyle Dalton Sandilands’ or ‘Kyle Sandy Lands’ are not Kyle.

‘Guys, do your research when you’re asked for this sensitive information… If it looks dodgy, if it looks fake, it’s probably not us.’

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