Have You Heard About The Latest Mildura Phone Scam?

Don't get sucked in!

We all know someone who has fallen victim to phone scams. Photo: Pexels.

Phone scams. We all know someone who’s been conned into accidentally handing over valuable information to a sweet-talking smooth criminal on the other end of the line only to find they’ve put themselves at risk of significant financial loss and identity theft.

Recently, in our own backyard, residents of Mildura have received random telemarketing calls from people claiming to be part of the Telstra Tech Department.

Often made from overseas numbers that, thanks to technology, appear as if they’re local, these scammers commonly allege that they’ve found some kind of issue with your internet service and need to do something to your computer otherwise you’ll be connected. Of course, this isn’t the case.

Photo: Pexels.

The problem is that it all sounds so convincing that it’s hard to know whether or not you should trust what you’re being told. So we sat down with Ray Pratt from the Telstra Store Mildura to find out the best ways to avoid being scammed.

Always keep in mind any unexpected contact could be a scam, whether it’s made via the phone, by mail or online.
Verify the caller through an independent source (e.g. phone book or online search) to make sure you know who you’re dealing with. Never use the contact details the caller provides to you.
Never respond to unsolicited requests for access to your computer. Legitimate companies will never ask to do this. In fact, Telstra will never call you for a service or technical matter unless you’ve contacted them first.
Be wary of requests for your details or your money, as well as requests for payment through unusual methods such as iTunes gift cards or virtual currency like Bitcoin.

And, if you’re ever in doubt, either hang-up or delete the email. Alternatively you can contact the company yourself to verify their authenticity. Do this by using their official contact details.