[Kgee]

I am the same, never answer a number if I don’t know it.

Yes, if I don't know the caller I don't answer then I block the number. The scam emails and messages are nearly as bad as the phone calls.

 

[Matariki]

We’ve all heard about how chants can ward off bad spirits in ancient times, but have you ever wondered if they actually work in modern times?

One woman accomplished just that when one phrase had the scammers caught in their lie.

Chantel, from Victoria, was targeted by a sophisticated scammer who posed as a Medicare and Westpac representative and almost scammed $1000 out of her.

The Victorian was experiencing symptoms of COVID when she received an unsuspicious text message, informing her that she was in close contact with an Omicron case and that she needed to take a test.

The text message, which included a link to the fake Medicare website, read: "Medicare: You have been in close contact with someone who has contracted Omicron. You must order a free PCR test kit at:”

The text message Chantel received from the scammers. Credit: news.com.au.​

Chantel admitted that she "wasn’t really thinking clearly” at the time due to being unwell so she proceeded and clicked the link.

After clicking the link, she was redirected to a page where she could purchase a kit for $1.49.

The woman said that she made the purchase, thinking that she needed to take the test regardless.

However, upon making the transaction, her phone started receiving a series of calls.

“The phone rang twice, one straight after the other, so I thought it must be really important,” she recalled.

Chantel said that the person on the other line was a "well-spoken" British man who introduced himself as a Westpac employee.

The man informed her that she fell victim to a common scam and scammers were trying to take $1000 from her account before Westpac intercepted and stopped the transaction.

Chantel said that she had her suspicions over the legitimacy of the man so she raised them with him.

The man then demanded her to search for his number on Google so she could see that it belong to the bank.

She said: “Sure enough, it came up that it was under Westpac.”

The woman, who was experiencing COVID symptoms at the time, received a message from what seemed to be a Medicare number told that she was in close contact with an Omicron case. Credit: iStock.​

The man, who was confident that he had secured Chantel's trust, told her that she would receive a verification code he would need.

She recalled: "The text came up straight away but I was still a bit unsure, so he asked whether I had a landline so I could have called the bank to confirm.”

At this point, the fraudster was almost successful at scamming $1000 from her. But her next move saved her from the looming financial disaster...

She shared: "So I told him, ‘I’ll hang up and call the bank now.”

“That’s when I heard a clunk and he’d gone.”

Chantel said that it was all she needed to confirm that the man was indeed a scammer.

She said that the experience has left her shaken and that she now has a new appreciation for how easily people can be tricked into giving away their savings.

A Westpac spokesperson has confirmed that they would never use verification codes when taking payments

Services Australia has also warned of a potentially dangerous text message that's been circulating, telling people to delete it immediately.

ScamWatch says Australians have lost more than $205 million to scams so far this year, and that text message scams have increased by 54% in just the last few months.

We recommend checking out the Scam Watch section of the SDC website to stay on top of the latest scamming tactics that you need to be aware of in order to not fall victim to these schemes. Stay safe out there, folks![/firstad]

Now if I get a call from an unknown person I let it ring out and then block them, especially when they don't leave a message. Such a nuisance as sometimes it is a genuine caller which you don't have on your phone list.

 

[rehandra]

Shortly after receiving and paying my phone bill on line I receive an E Mail or phone call to say one of the digits in my bank account were wrong and that the bill had not been paid.
Of course I always receive a receipt from Telstra and a quick check of my Telstra account always shows that I owe nothing. Just be aware as to how cunning these people are.

agree...we just have to put our brains into gear and treat everything as suspicious and act accordingly.

 

[Esma Rose]

You get to know the sign of the times when your phone is ringing. If there's a pause, don,t waste your time saying 'inevitably 'hello.: Hang up. That annoys them more if it is "one of those calls." If they get time to say your name, still be suspicious & if nothing is left to the imagination you'll know what to do. I used to use my Daughter's whistle from Guides, but I heard of a new one the other day. Stand back if you try it on family because you may cause harm. A saucepan with a metal spoon. May knock your head AND your ear drums completely away. No I think I will rely on the answering machine to hear who it is. They waste the money, you don't.

 

[Esma Rose]

I think I'll give Ricky's idea a go next week. Being vague Ricci, how do I block a number??? Hang up? ha ha
I don't think I,m Miss Mod anymore. xx

 

[Ricci]

I think I'll give Ricky's idea a go next week. Being vague Ricci, how do I block a number??? Hang up? ha ha
I don't think I,m Miss Mod anymore. xx

It depends on the make of your phone, they're all slightly different but if in doubt maybe a family member could show you. Failing that if you go into a shop that sells phones they will certainly help.

 

[Cougar]

You get to know the sign of the times when your phone is ringing. If there's a pause, don,t waste your time saying 'inevitably 'hello.: Hang up. That annoys them more if it is "one of those calls." If they get time to say your name, still be suspicious & if nothing is left to the imagination you'll know what to do. I used to use my Daughter's whistle from Guides, but I heard of a new one the other day. Stand back if you try it on family because you may cause harm. A saucepan with a metal spoon. May knock your head AND your ear drums completely away. No I think I will rely on the answering machine to hear who it is. They waste the money, you don't.

I got three scam calls the other day by the third one I was getting rather annoyed..I didn't have a whistle so I screamed as loud as I could then hung up...scared the shot out of hubby lol....ended up with a sore throat for a while but boy it felt good

 

[Me-Ant]

When the scammers get on the phone to me, there's almost always a pause before they start with their spiel or there's lots of chatter in the background, which is a dead giveaway. What I do is let out a long, loud, lasting laugh. Again, almost invariably, they disconnect. Then I block their number.
Seems to work, the irritators are nowhere near as numerous these days.

Unfortunately, a lot of scammers use legitimate phone numbers (taking advantage of mobile phones having the field whereby a different number can be entered) which when called back, are a person that didn’t call you!

Also, a numher of Charity callers do not check the “Do not call” register…

 

[Me-Ant]

I got three scam calls the other day by the third one I was getting rather annoyed..I didn't have a whistle so I screamed as loud as I could then hung up...scared the shot out of hubby lol....ended up with a sore throat for a while but boy it felt good

Been there, done that…it will work until you get a call where they will blow a whistle or scream, then hang up.