Auto diallers catching out vulnerable people

AUTOMATED phone calls are one of the most cost-effective ways scammers can catch out unsuspecting Australians.

In most instances crooks make ten of thousands of phone calls and leave voice messages demanding recipients call them back, or they give them automated instructions to follow the prompts to speak to someone.

Great-grandfather Stanley Clarkson, 85, from Wonthaggi in regional Victoria, said he was “annoyed” after getting dozens of automated calls from someone purporting to be from the National Broadband Network (NBN).

“We’ve had the NBN for three years but I’m getting calls from someone saying they are from the NBN and they are going to disconnect our home internet,” he said.

“It asks you to click ‘1’ for a technician and someone could easily get caught out and end up in a lot of trouble. The calls are being made from landlines. I just end up hanging up.”

Automated scams use technology that allows thousands of phone calls to be made at once.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s deputy chair, Delia Rickard, said this method was often used to impersonate the Australian Taxation Office, telling Australians they owed money.

“You get an automated call first that alarms you and says you haven’t paid your tax and you need to urgently call this number,” Ms Rickard said.

“It’s a productivity drive for the scammers – they are only dealing with the people who call back who are more susceptible because they haven’t realised in the first place that it’s a scam.”

The successful scammers are then able to trick the victim into handing over money. Ms Rickard urged anyone who received an automated call from someone purporting to be a business or authority to immediately hang up.

NBN Co chief security officer Darren Kane warned Australians to be vigilant.

“NBN Co does not make automated calls to advise of disconnections to a service,” he said.

“If in doubt, hang up and call your retail service provider on their official customer service centre number to check if the call is legitimate.”

General manager of the Commonwealth Bank’s cyber security centre, Brendan Hopper, said the bank was sharing intelligence with business, regulators and government agencies to help prevent fraud.

“Fraudsters and scammers will continue to innovate and automate as technology evolves,” he said.

Fraud Watch is presented in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank. If you have a scams story, please let us know at fraudwatch@news.com.au. To find out more, head to fraudwatch.com.au