South West residents have been urged be keep their personal and financial information safe after a series of scam calls were reported in the region.
A 79-year-old Busselton resident said they received three scam calls in one day, with the scammers claiming to be from Telstra and NBN Co.
“They kept saying they had the first and last four numbers of my credit card and they needed the middle ones,” they said.
“I said ‘I beg your pardon’ and hung up.
“I keep reading about people getting scammed, and you think how do they get caught out, but I tell you what, it is easy if you are not on the ball and especially for elderly people like myself.”
NBN Co released an alert, which stated scammers were increasingly impersonating NBN Co and trying to take advantage of consumers, including those living in retirement villages.
NBN Co chief security officer Darren Kane said it was important to be aware that NBN Co would never make unsolicited calls or door knock to sell broadband services.
“NBN Co is the company building and operating Australia’s wholesale broadband network, and as a wholesale-only company we do not sell broadband packages directly to consumers,” he said.
“There are times when NBN Co may contact you directly as part of the network roll-out, but never to request payment for services over the nbn network.”
Consumer Protection South West regional coordinator Annetta Bellingeri said often the scammers were cold calling and fishing for sensitive information.
“They choose companies people are familiar with and use quite plausible stories,” she said.
“These types of scams are quite prolific and quite successful.
“It is important to remember legitimate businesses do not call out of the blue in this manner. If you receive a call, ask their name, title and why they are calling. Look up the information independently and never send money or financial details out of blue.”
To report scams, visit scamwatch.gov.au or call 1300 795 995.
