We've all been there; someone calls us alleging to be from a service provider or bank that we're with. Something has happened and they need you to act urgently.
And while we all know the message to "hang up" if sounds phoney, we are still letting hackers get the best of us.
Almost half of the 8975 remote access scams - and $15 million lost because of them - reported to ScamWatch in 2023 were by phone. But such scams can also come in via text, social media or email.
The bank's Head of Customer Fraud and Scam Protection, Jason Gordon, said scammers would try "every trick in the book" to gain access to your phone or computer.
He explained once they have access, scammers may install malicious software, steal important information, or make purchases without the account holder's approval, leaving victims and their bank accounts vulnerable.
His advice?
"If you did not originate the call and you're being asked for information or to enable remote access, hang up!"
The impersonation tactics are getting more clever and harder to detect. Jason shared an example of a reported scam where the fraudster created a legitimate-looking LinkedIn page and directed the victim to it to gain trust.
This kind of trickery, combined with other tactics like spoofing - when phone calls appear to come from legitimate numbers and SMS messages appear in the same conversation thread as genuine communications - make it extremely difficult for people to detect genuine communications," he said.
Scamwatch has the following advice to protect yourself from such activity:
Stop: Don't give money or personal information to anyone if unsure
Scammers will offer to help you or ask you to verify who you are. They will pretend to be from organisations you know and trust like, Services Australia, police, a bank, government or a fraud service.
Think: Ask yourself could the message or call be fake?
Never click a link in a message. Only contact businesses or government using contact information from their official website or through their secure apps. If you're not sure say no, hang up or delete.
Protect: Act quickly if something feels wrong.
Contact your bank if you notice some unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help from IDCARE and report to ReportCyber and Scamwatch at www.scamwatch.gov.au.
