Damon Mcknight
Scams are a common way for cybercriminals to compromise accounts and steal money or personal information. Scammers can be highly sophisticated, making their scams difficult to spot. They may impersonate well-known brands and government agencies, disguise their phone numbers, or pretend to be a trusted organisation or family member. To protect yourself from phone scams, it's important to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. If you think you may have been scammed, it's important to act quickly by contacting your bank and relevant authorities, such as Scamwatch or the National Anti-Scam Centre in Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What to do if you receive a scam call | Do not provide any personal information and hang up |
| What to do if you receive a scam text | Do not reply or click on any links |
| What to do if your personal or financial information has been stolen | Tell your bank and phone company immediately |
| How to protect yourself from phone and SMS scams | Block callers, do not answer calls from unknown numbers, do not click on any links or reply to messages, do not allow remote access to your computer |
| How to report a scam | Report online via Scamwatch or ReportCyber, contact the National Anti-Scam Centre, contact your bank or financial institution |
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What You'll Learn
- Recognising a scam call: Be wary of unknown callers or those impersonating well-known brands
- What to do during a scam call: Do not provide personal information, hang up, and report the number?
- How to report a scam: Contact your bank, financial institution, and Scamwatch?
- What is Scamwatch: It is a platform that helps to stop scammers and warn others?
- Protecting yourself: Do not click on unknown links, block callers, and safeguard your personal information
Recognising a scam call: Be wary of unknown callers or those impersonating well-known brands
Scammers can be highly sophisticated, making their scams difficult to spot. They may disguise their phone number to appear local or even impersonate well-known organisations or government agencies. They may also pretend to be a friend or family member in need of money. Here are some tips to help you recognise a scam call:
- Be cautious of calls from unknown numbers. If you don't recognise the number or it says "Unknown Caller", it's best not to answer. If it's important, they will leave a voicemail or contact you another way.
- Be wary of calls from unfamiliar area codes or countries that you don't typically receive calls from. Scammers often use local numbers to trick people into answering, but they may be calling from a different state or country.
- If you receive a call or message that sounds suspicious or seems to be impersonating someone, it could be a scam. Scammers may impersonate authority figures or someone you know to try and gain your trust.
- Be cautious of calls or messages that pressure you for immediate information or payment. Legitimate companies will already have access to your account details and will not demand immediate payment over the phone.
- Never provide personal or financial information, such as passwords, login information, banking details, or sensitive information over the phone. Legitimate companies will not ask for this type of information.
- If you are unsure, hang up and call the company or organisation back using the official phone number listed on their website or your bills/statements. Do not trust phone numbers provided by unsolicited callers.
By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from scam calls and avoid becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft. Remember to report any suspected scam calls to the relevant authorities to help warn others and stop scammers.
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What to do during a scam call: Do not provide personal information, hang up, and report the number
If you receive a scam call, it is important to remain calm and follow these steps:
Firstly, do not provide any personal information. Scammers may try to deceive you by pretending to be from a trusted organisation and asking for your personal details. They may even disguise their phone number to make it look like they are calling from a local area or a trusted company. It is important to remember that legitimate organisations will never ask for sensitive information over the phone.
If you are unsure whether the caller is legitimate, you can hang up and call the company or organisation back using the number provided on their official website. Do not call back the number that called you, as it might be spoofed. Alternatively, you can simply hang up if you feel uncomfortable. Do not worry about being polite—your safety is more important.
Secondly, hang up the phone. Do not engage with the scammer or try to argue with them, as this is what they want. Simply end the call as soon as you realise it is a scam.
Finally, report the number to the relevant authorities. In Australia, you can report scam calls to Scamwatch. They will use your report to take down scam websites, ads, and contact details, as well as to design new ways to stop scammers. You can also report the number to your phone company, which can help them block the number and prevent others from receiving scam calls.
Remember, it is important to stay vigilant and protect your personal information. Do not answer calls or messages from unknown numbers, and never click on links or provide sensitive information unless you are certain the requester is legitimate.
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How to report a scam: Contact your bank, financial institution, and Scamwatch
If you've been scammed, it's important to act quickly to minimise potential damage. Contact your bank or credit card provider immediately and ask them to stop any transactions that may be taking place. If you've sent money to a scammer, they may be able to close your account or stop a transaction. Be sure to call your bank using their official phone number, not any number mentioned in the scam message.
Next, you can report the scam to Scamwatch, the National Anti-Scam Centre. Scamwatch uses your reports to monitor trends and inform people about new and emerging scams. You can report any suspicious contact or activity, and your report will help them stop scammers and warn others. You will need to provide details of the scam, such as screenshots or texts of emails or messages.
Additionally, you can consent to have your report shared with other organisations to help remove scam websites, scam ads, and contact details. This helps the community by warning of new scams and protecting others from falling victim to similar scams.
Finally, you should also contact any other services that use your personal identity documents, such as the ATO or Services Australia, to secure your accounts. Change the passwords to any accounts that you think the scammer may have accessed or could access in the future, especially if you have reused passwords across different accounts.
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What is Scamwatch: It is a platform that helps to stop scammers and warn others
If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from the ACCC and asking for personal information, do not provide any details and hang up. Scammers may try to impersonate phone numbers belonging to the ACCC in an attempt to steal personal information.
Scamwatch is a platform that helps to stop scammers and warn others. It is a service provided by the ACCC's National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), which brings together experts from government, law enforcement, and the private sector to fight scams. The NASC aims to disrupt scams before they reach consumers by analysing shared data and raising consumer awareness about scam trends, helping people to spot and avoid scams.
Scamwatch provides a form on its website that allows users to report any suspicious contact or activity. These reports are critical in helping to identify scam trends, disrupt scams, and alert the community. With consent, Scamwatch can use these reports to work with organisations to remove scam websites, advertisements, and contact details. Reports also help the community by providing information on new and emerging scams, enabling people to protect themselves by knowing what to look out for.
Scamwatch also offers resources to help people identify and protect themselves from scams. For example, they provide a publication called "The Little Book of Scams," which is an internationally recognised tool for consumers and small businesses to learn about different types of scams. Additionally, they offer scam alert email subscriptions, keeping Australians informed about the latest scams and how to avoid them.
By utilising Scamwatch, Australians can play an active role in the fight against scams. Reporting suspicious activities helps disrupt scam operations and protects the community by spreading awareness. Together, with the combined efforts of government, industry, and individuals, we can strengthen our defence against scammers and minimise the impact of their deceptive tactics.
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Protecting yourself: Do not click on unknown links, block callers, and safeguard your personal information
Scammers may try to deceive you to steal your money or personal information. They can be highly sophisticated, making their scams difficult to spot. They may disguise their phone number to appear local or impersonate well-known brands, government agencies, or institutions you trust, such as a bank or the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
To protect yourself from phone scams, it is important to be cautious and vigilant. Here are some key steps to follow:
Do not click on unknown links
If you receive a suspicious message or email with links, do not click on them. Instead, go directly to the website or app of the company or organization purportedly contacting you and verify the information there. This ensures you are accessing legitimate sites and not exposing yourself to potential malware or phishing attempts.
Block callers
You can block specific numbers on your mobile phone through its settings or by using an app. For landlines, consider getting a handset with blocking capabilities or a device that can be attached to your existing phone to block callers.
Safeguard your personal information
Be cautious about sharing personal details online and update your privacy settings on social media. Do not provide personal or financial information, such as passwords, login credentials, banking details, or multi-factor authentication codes, over the phone or via text message. If a caller requests remote access to your computer, hang up immediately.
If you suspect your money or personal information has been compromised, act quickly. Contact your bank and phone company immediately and inform them of the potential breach. Additionally, you can report scam calls, messages, or incidents to Scamwatch, run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This helps warn others and stop scammers.
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Frequently asked questions
Scammers may disguise their phone number to appear local, pretend to be from an organisation you trust, use company logos, copy real text messages, or pretend to be a friend or family member in need. They may ask for your personal details, passwords, login information, banking details, or multi-factor authentication codes. They may also ask you to download files or software or request remote access to your computer.
Do not answer the phone call. Do not provide any personal information and hang up. If the caller leaves a number, check that it matches the one on their official website. Do not reply to any text messages or click on any links. Block the number by contacting your phone company or using your phone settings.
You can report a scam phone call to Scamwatch, which is part of the National Anti-Scam Centre. You can also report a cybercrime via ReportCyber or by calling the Australian Cyber Security Centre hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
