To help protect your personal information, the National Anti-Scam Centre has released a new urgent alert to Australians. There’s a new scam going around, where criminals pretend to be the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Impersonators of ACCC are said to be using ACCC phone numbers to trick people into giving them personal data. The ACCC wants to remind consumers that it does not place calls from any of the phone numbers listed on its official website. Keep this key Scam Protection 101 fact in mind to better scam-proof yourself.
The National Anti-Scam Centre, created by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, is taking a close look at these scams and more. Based on their results, scammers are using complex methods known as “spoofing,” which allow them to mask their phone number. This fraud enables them to operate and appear as legitimate agents of the ACCC. As a result, many are led to think that they are dealing with an honest, reputable institution.
Catriona Lowe, a representative from the National Anti-Scam Centre, discussed the dangers of spoofing.
“Spoofing is when scammers disguise their phone number to make it look like they’re calling from a trusted organisation — including government agencies like the ACCC — to deceive people into answering and sharing personal information.” – Catriona Lowe
One thing that is a red flag from the urgency of the messages that we get in between these calls. The National Anti-Scam Centre recommends being particularly suspicious of any contact that pressures you to take action quickly or asks for sensitive personal information. These tactics are specifically meant to make consumers let their guard down and make snap decisions.
The ACCC wants Australians to report all calls they think may be scams. This is particularly true for messages received on platforms such as WhatsApp or iMessage, so ensure you report these directly through ScamWatch. This platform has become an invaluable resource for tracking scams and other fraudulent activity to better protect consumers from falling victim to fraud.
Australians should be informed that when calling, the ACCC will only ever be calling from private numbers. That means you’ll miss out on calls from numbers listed in public directories. The agency’s first priority should be keeping consumers safe. They’ll never request sensitive personal information via phone in this manner.
As understanding of this scam increases, it’s crucial for Australians to keep their guard up. These scammers want one thing—your personal information. This makes them key enablers of financial harm and identity theft to this day.
