The phone scam fooling hundreds of Aussies
This is the missed call you don’t want to return.
Almost 200 Australians a month are being stung by the latest phone scam doing the rounds, known as Wangiri scams.
Fraudsters call from an overseas number, hoping you ring back.
If you do, you’re charged a premium and the scammer keeps a large chunk of the money, similar to a 1300 call.
“All sorts of places that have very high terminating fees for when you call into them,” Delia Rickard from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [ACCC] told 7 News.
“They might try and engage you in conversation, their goal is to have you call them and stay on the phone for as long as possible so that they get the money.”
However, you can block these specific numbers by selecting the ‘i’ icon next to your recent call and selecting ‘block caller’.
There are also several apps that allow you to block all scam calls from numbers associated with telemarketing companies.
On landlines, the best advice is to call your telco to discuss a blocking service.
And if you have already fallen victim to a Wangiri scam, contact your service provider as some do offer refunds.
