The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says scammers are trying to gain sensitive information
Australians should be vigilant against scammers who are spoofing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to steal personal information.
Spoofing refers to a tactic used by scammers to disguise their phone number to make it look like they're calling from a trusted organisation, according to ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe.
"This is a tactic that helps scammers hide their true identity while posing as trusted institutions – it's designed to lower your guard," Lowe said in a statement.
"If a call or message feels off, trust your instincts and hang up. It's safer to end the call and check in directly with us."
The warning comes after the ACCC and the National Anti-Scam Centre said they have become aware of scammers using the commission's publicly available phone numbers to steal information.
Some of the scammers are claiming to be representatives of the commission and are requesting sensitive information over the phone.
Others are misusing the ACCC acronym to impersonate an unrelated organisation and spoke in a language other than English, according to the National Anti-Scam Centre, which operates under the ACCC.
The centre said the ACCC does not make calls from its reception numbers, and will never "cold" call or email consumers asking for their personal information.
"If you receive a call claiming to be from the ACCC where personal information such as passwords or bank details are requested, do not provide this information and hang up," it advised.
Reported losses to scam incidents reached nearly $119 million in the first four months of the year, according to data from the National Anti-Scam Centre. This is up by 28% from the same time last year, despite recording a 24% drop in reported cases.
"While the average and median losses per victim have slightly decreased, the rise in overall financial loss and the number of people being impacted is a reminder to stay alert," Lowe previously said.
