Online scammers target Tumbarumba Rodeo, Riverina events

The Tumbarumba Rodeo was forced to make a public announcement on its Facebook page at the weekend after overseas-based profiles spammed fans with details and links to a livestream purporting to be of the New Year's Day event.

Former Riverina woman Mary Reeves couldn't make it to the annual rodeo, where a tribute was held for her late uncle, community and rodeo stalwart Paul 'Dought' Doughty.

But a string of links promoting a livestream of the rodeo posted in comments on the event's Facebook page caught Ms Reeves's eye.

"It really got me, because I'm in Brisbane [and they were] doing a minute's silence for Uncle Paul," Ms Reeves said.

It seemed like the perfect compromise, so she began to sign up, with the plan to watch with her mother - Paul's sister - who lives with dementia and cannot travel.

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A $3 charge and 20 minutes later, the supposed livestream service emailed to say it was about to add another $80 payment on the credit card despite not being anywhere near the 24-hour option Ms Reeves signed up for.

With banks closed for the long weekend, she swiftly put a block on the credit card and called other relatives to warn them of the the sham stream.

It was a second blow after being unable to make it to the funeral when Mr Doughty passed away in July.

Once aware, the rodeo committee warned its Facebook community not to fall for the scam.

The message was blunt: "There is no live stream available. Please do not give your card details or click the link."

The targeting of Tumbarumba's following bears similarities to that endured by Wagga's Murrumbidgee Turf Club in the lead-up to the Gold Cup last year.

Multiple events were listed on social media, including one that declared crowds would be banned and instead the races streamed online - only they were all fake.

Then-MTC CEO Steve Keene said at the time it was a niggling issue that continued to crop up.

"It is really frustrating to see people doing this," he said.

"We have had a lot of people contacting us to see if what they are saying is true, so that does take up a bit of our time."

Wagga man Bevan O'Halloran almost fell for the livestream scam, but smelled a rat just in time. Like Ms Reeves, Mr O'Halloran wanted to tune in for Mr Doughty's memorial.

"He was a hard-working gentleman who loved a beer and a yarn and getting things done," Mr O'Halloran said.

"I filled out everything ... got right up to where it said to put credit card details in and I stopped then.

"It's a bit disappointing, [scammers] trying to do something on a special day."

The Tumbarumba Rodeo committee was contacted for comment.

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