We've all had the call.
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You know the one, there's a problem with your computer or your internet speed. The caller says there's an easy fix and suggests you let them log into your computer.
Or, the caller has identified themselves as someone from either, the Australian Taxation Office, Microsoft, PayPal, the police or another authority. They've got some bad news that you are up for a fine and or face imprisonment if you don't respond immediately with a payment.
While we've all experienced some kind of scammer call, an increasing number of people are becoming victims, hooked by the authentic-sounding voice and pitch on the end of the line.
Tristan Piper from PC Pitstop says between two and three people are arriving on their doorstep each week with their own tale of woe.
"There has been an increase over the last two years in the number of people coming into the store who have had their computers infected," he said.
"Each of these people has been fleeced financially, sometimes in the thousands and thousands of dollars at a time.
"While these victims have anti virus computer software installed, these scammers work on you providing them access to your own computer.
"And when a person provides this information to a scammer they can be embarrassed to tell anyone that they fell for the scam," he said.
"People need to follow some simple rules in order to keep these scammers at bay."
That advice includes, installing a high profile anti-virus program, regularly change your passwords, contact your banking institution, don't panic if someone rings telling you there is a problem with your computer, contact the police and, if you believe the caller is fake simply unplug your computer and take it to your IT support specialist.
Mr Piper said scammers take advantage of specific situations in an area, including when there are major internet issues, such as the installation of the NBN or major outages across a network.
Scammers also increase their presence at tax time.
- Tristan Piper
"Scammers also increase their presence at tax time too," he said.
Mr Piper said one of the simplest suggestions he could give was to simply tell a suspect caller that you don’t own a computer.
“They tend to hang up immediately,” he added.
NSW Police urge community members not to provide any personal information and report the call to local police as soon as possible.
They remind the public to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of being scammed by cold-callers:
- Never provide your personal or banking details to a person who calls you;
- Never provide your financial PIN or account passwords to anyone;
- If you are suspicious about the credentials of a person on the phone, ask questions of them. If they avoid answering or refuse to provide information, hang up;
- Don’t let scammers pressure you – scammers use detailed scripts to convince you that they’re the real deal and create a high-pressure situation to make a decision on the spot;
- If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
To find out more information about scams or to find out other ways to protect yourself, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au
If you have been the victim of a scam, you can report scams to the ACCC online at the ‘SCAMwatch report a scam’ page or by calling 1300 795 995. You can also report it to your local police station.