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Prevent Scam calls and SMS

Protect Yourself: A Comprehensive Guide to Recognizing and Avoiding Scam Calls and SMS

In today's digital world, fake phone calls and messages are a big problem. Scammers are getting smarter and using tricky tactics to trick people. These scams can lead to losing money and giving away personal information. Knowing how to spot and avoid these scams is really important to stay safe. In this guide, we'll talk about different types of scams, how to recognize them, and what you can do to keep yourself safe.

What calls and SMS messages are considered scams?

Scam calls and SMS are fake messages that trick people into giving away personal or monetary details by lying, rushing, or scaring them, usually through unexpected messages or calls, asking for sensitive info, pressuring them, and making false promises.

Identifying Scam Calls and SMS: What to Watch Out For

• Calls from impersonators claiming to be from reputable organizations like the government or well-known brands, seeking financial details for refunds or overpayments.
• Offers to add your number to the Do Not Call Register for a fee, which is a free service.
• Callers falsely claim your computer has a virus or is attacking others.
• Unexpected SMS messages requesting personal details, advertising material, or urging you to click links.
• SMS/MMS numbers starting with '19XX' or international codes other than +61 (Australia's country code), can incur premium charges.
• Text promising prizes require money to claim or encourage you to install risky software on your device.
• Never share sensitive data in response to unsolicited messages or calls.
• Contact the sender directly if unsure about message authenticity.
• Be cautious of requests for personal or financial details over the phone.

Examples of scam phone calls

• Fake calls from people pretending to be the police, asking for help in catching criminals and sending money abroad.
• Calls asking for payments to be made using gift cards, pretending to be from companies or the tax office.
• Calls pretending to be technical support, trying to access your computer using fake technical terms.
• Calls asking for security codes are received via text message, pretending to be from any reputed Organisation.
• SMS claiming urgent action is needed to avoid trouble, often asking you to click on links or call certain numbers.
• Calls and SMS promising prizes or rewards, asking for personal information in return.
• Calls and SMS pretending to be from banks, asking for account details.
• SMS pretending to be delivery notifications, asking you to click on links or download files.

What's the next step?

• Verify caller identity by hanging up and contacting the organization directly using officially published contact details if unsure about legitimacy.
• Exercise caution when sharing personal or financial information over the phone or via SMS, especially if you didn't initiate contact. Be particularly wary of requests for one-time codes received via SMS.
• Avoid returning missed calls from unfamiliar numbers, especially those beginning with '190', to prevent potential premium rate charges. Verify the legitimacy of the number before calling back.
• Report suspected scam calls or SMS to relevant authorities, providing as much detail as possible. Dedicated teams, such as those in organizations like Telstra, investigate such reports and take appropriate action.

To report scam call and sms, please fill in this form.