Scams and fraud

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​At Quee​nsland Rail, we are committed to the safety and security of our community.​

Queensland Rail has been made aware of various scams encouraging individuals to provide personal details via email and payment for Rail Industry Worker (RIW) training, job vacancies, etc.

Below you can find information on ​how to identify, avoid and respond to scams.​​

​Types of scams​

Job and employment scams may trick you into making a payment or providing personal information by offering you a job, training to get a job, or money.​​

Scammers use various methods to obtain your money or personal details. These can include:​​​

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Contacting you via phone, email, SMS, or other messaging services, for example via genuine job boards.
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Advertising fake jobs or paid training opportunities on social media, job boards, or other platforms.​

​​​​If you are a job applicant, you might receive a call, email, or SMS from us in relation to your job application. You can always contact us to check if a job and/or training opportunity is legitimate.​​​

​Examples of scams​

For examples of scam emails and invoices, please click below:​

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Scam email example (one)
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Scam email example (two)​
 
Scam invoice example (one)​​ ​​

How to be cybersmart: Tips to avoid scams

 

Never send money or give credit card details, online account details, or copies of personal documents to anyone you do not know or trust.

Queensland Rail will never ask you for payment to obtain a job and/or training. Use extreme caution if you have been asked to use an unusual payment method including preloaded debit cards, gift cards, iTunes cards, or virtual currency (i.e., Bitcoin).

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Be alert when dealing with uninvited contacts from businesses you do not know. Key warning signs they could be contacting you as part of a scam include:

  • Emails are sent from free email addresses (i.e., Gmail, Yahoo, Zohomail etc.).​
  • Generic greetings (i.e., Dear user/sir/madam/applicant).
  • Spelling and grammatical mistakes.
  • Links to unrecognised sites.
  • Request to perform an urgent action i.e., make a payment to ensure you don't miss a place in a training course.
  • Unsolicited attachments.​
 
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Check who you are dealing with if you have only been in contact with someone online or are unsure of the legitimacy of a business by doing further research.

Queensland Rail never accepts job applications via email.  Job applications are always directed to our external careers site jobs.queenslandrail.com.au  including those jobs we advertise on other job boards such as Seek. 

To check if the person you are liaising with is from Queensland Rail, email qrcareers@qr.com.au or reach us via the contact details on our website.

 

Do not open suspicious text, emails, or pop-up windows or click on any links or attachments. 

  • Never share information without being certain of the sender's identity.
  • Checks the sender's email address, paying attention to the sender domain (what comes after the @ symbol).
  • If you are unsure about an email you have received, make sure you speak to the sender to verify its authenticity using an alternative communication channel (e.g. phone). You should never use any phone number provided in the email. If you would like to speak to us, reach out via the contact details on our website.
  • Never open executable ('.exe.') files attached to emails.
  • Hover over links to verify their actual destination.
  • Type in website addresses, rather than clicking on links.
  • Validate phone numbers, particularly mobile phone numbers, some mobile numbers are only an automated SMS to Web service.​​
 

Keep your personal details secure and never provide personal details to someone who contacts you unexpectedly.​​

Where to get help​

If you believe you have been contacted in relation to a fake job or training opportunity as part of a scam, or have seen an advertisement that you believe is a scam, you should:

  • ​Contact your financial institution if you have made a payment.
  • Report this activity to Policelink by calling 131 444. 
  • Report the scam by visiting www.scamwatch.gov.au  and getting information on where to get help.
  • Contact qrcareers@qr.com.au to confirm the legitimacy of the vacancy and to notify us of an employment and/or training scam misrepresenting Queensland Rail.
  • Contact www.idcare.org  if you have provided personal details.
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