WITH a growing concern about scams impacting the community, state member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, is asking for residents to be vigilant. Ms Kealy herself said she had been getting scam calls. She said she received four international calls from the UK, Russia, Thailand and Belarus. Ms Kealy said she didn't answer any of the calls, presumed to be scammers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I also had a call from a Shepparton number which I answered to hear a pre-recorded message stating it was Amazon calling regarding my order for an iPhone 11, and if this wasn't correct I should press 1 which I assume would have resulted in them asking for my bank details so they could process a refund," Ms Kealy said.
Some common scams involve text messages from overseas (with multiple spelling mistakes so easy to spot) while others were phone calls from overseas numbers.
There are some simple rules to follow to avoid scammers to the best of your ability.
- If you don't know the number, don't answer it. They'll leave a message if they really want to talk to you, then you can choose whether to call them back or not.
- Never share your bank details over the phone.
- If you're not sure if the call is legit or not, ask for their number then end the call. You can then either check the number matches the call display or check it against publicly listed numbers for any registered company.
- If you do answer the phone, ask for the callers' name, company name and phone number (a legal requirement to provide) and record the time of the call.
More info is available at www.acma.gov.au/stop-getting-spam
