Hi, you are invited to take part in a study commissioned by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, conducted by Lonergan Research. A 6 to 14 minute survey with a $1000 prize draw. Visit https:// acaps.lonergan.team/XXXXXXX (code removed) to start.
Call 1800 958 165 for more info. Reply STOP to opt-out.
I phoned OAIC, but the officer I spoke to had no knowledge of any survey, and there was no mention of it that I could find on their web site either.
He asked that I send it to him and he’d find out and let me know, which of course he didn’t - common for govt departments in my experience.
Lonergan tried to phone late in the day, but I didn’t know who it was, and the number had been reported as a potential fraud caller, so I didn’t answer. They left a message saying I should do the survey.
They then sent another SMS at 18:55:
Here is the link you requested from Lonergan https:// acaps.lonergan.team/XXXXXX
I certainly did not request it!
Today another SMS at 10:18:
Hi, we have noticed you have not taken the study you were invited to take. You still have a chance to enter by clicking the link below. Your opinion would be greatly valued.
https:// acaps.lonergan.team/XXXXXX
Reply STOP to opt-out.
So they would value my opinion… I’m not so sure they would
I’ve sent a couple more emails to OAIC, but still no response.
BTW, I have no idea why Discourse has made the SMS text so large.
Looks like it could be it, but why doesn’t the OAIC officer I spoke to know anything about it?
Re it being March, I guess Lonergan’s scammer-like approach, plus their phone number being reported as potential fraud, means they are having trouble recruiting participants.
Quite often the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing.
From the email address on the website, it looks like the survey project may be run at a coprate level rather than an officer level…maybe by their communications group.
Maybe try using the corporate email address (corporate@oaic.gov.au) to see if they respond.
This could be why the survey is running longer than that posted on their website.
I emailed the corporate@ address earlier today, no response yet, but did just receive a “thank you for your enquiry” response from the enquiries@ address, which in part includes this:
We generally aim to respond to all written enquiries within ten working days. However, we currently have a delay in allocating new enquiries to an officer within that timeframe. At this time it may be up to 4 weeks before an officer is able to respond to your written enquiry. We will contact you earlier if we are able to do so.
4 weeks? Pretty hopeless!
My chance at winning that $1000 will be long gone by then!
They did suggest calling the 1300 number if it was urgent- I did that yesterday and they said to email them!
Sometimes I wonder how the country keeps running under these bureaucrats.
In regard to Lonergan Research, their website lists Choice as one of their Clients so it shouldn’t be too hard to determine the legitimacy of this SMS. With regard to @gordon, if they are offering a $1000 “raffle” I didn’t realise our government was so generous. My response would be to delete…delete…delete.
They phoned again last night and left a message, they seem rather desperate for me to do their survey! I tried calling them back to tell them it was sounding very scam-like, but just got their messaging service, so hung up.
No i haven’t looked there, but i didn’t click on it due to its high dodginess factor, and I’m still waiting for a response from OAIC. No doubt my opportunity to win $1000 by doing the survey has long passed by now.
Speaking of dodgy dealings, ATM I’m a bit more concerned about the CC fraudsters who tried to load my card up with nearly $5000 of purchases last night, including $4200 to Qatar Airways. My bank was onto them though, so after a few SMSs and a phone call in the very early hours the card is cancelled, which is a PITA!
Lonergan Research is a legitimate research agency, but I can see why you were concerned. I think we all know it’s best to take care when receiving unsolicited texts that promise a reward.
