'Do not call back': Police warn of new phone scam that could 'ruin Christmas'
A ‘robot’ threatening legal action is calling Australians in a new phone scam in the lead up to Christmas, police have warned.
Sydney residents have reported receiving concerning phone calls and messages threatening legal action and arrest if the receiver does not call back, which police say is a scam.
Sharing a recording of the robotic message to Facebook on Monday, Sydney officers warned residents to be vigilant.
The message tells the receiver a “lawsuit case is getting filed under your name” and urges them to ring the phone number 6102 0472.
The message then threatens that the receiver will be arrested if they do not return the call.
Police are urging people not to do so.
“Don’t let it ruin your festive season, but most importantly DO NOT CALL BACK,” the Kings Cross Police Area Command warned.
“No-one will contact you in this way to warn you about ‘lawsuits in your name’. The caller can’t ‘issue a warrant’ or ‘get you arrested’.”
Police confirmed that legitimate businesses and government agencies do not do business in this manner.
“No legitimate business or agency will have you pay in Bitcoin, or iTunes cards, or anything similar,” the police warned, saying methods such as these were “a low trick to target the vulnerable”.
“Let your friends and family know to ignore calls like this.”
What to do if you’re being scammed:
Police remind the public to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of being scammed by cold-callers:
If you receive a threatening phone call (and demanding money), hang up immediately;
Do not disclose personal details to the caller;
Never provide your personal or banking details to a person who calls you;
Never provide your financial PIN or account passwords to anyone;
Do not make any payments to the caller, either via phone, internet, or cash;
If you are suspicious about the credentials of a person on the phone, ask questions of them. If they avoid answering or refuse to provide information, hang up;
Don’t let scammers pressure you – scammers use detailed scripts to convince you that they’re the real deal and create a high-pressure situation to make a decision on the spot;
If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately; and
Contact police immediately to report the incident.
To find out more information about scams or other ways to protect yourself, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.
If you have been the victim of a scam, you can report it to local police or to the ACCC online at the ‘SCAMwatch report a scam’ page or by calling 1300 795 995.
