A Lithgow resident who contacted the Lithgow Mercury thought she had seen them all: Tax scams, fake Telstra call centre employees and “your computer has a virus”.

But, alarmed by news that a Hampton woman had $5000 removed from her bank account by scammers recently, she decided to share a new tact which had been tried on her last week. 

The anonymous caller, claiming to be from her financial institution, claimed $900 had been sent from her credit card account to a person in South Africa. 

They then asked the 69-year-old for her credit card number to confirm. 

“I pretended to have more than one credit card and asked them “which one?” she said. 

“I told them I would talk to my bank and hung up.”

She was not surprised to learn there had been no unusual transactions on her account, certainly no $900 that had been sent to South Africa.

“Then this morning (Friday, February 23) my husband received a message on his mobile asking if he had transferred money – same sort of thing,” she said. 

“When we tried to call the number back it had been disconnected.”

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SCAMWATCH gives the following advice to avoid becoming a victim of a scam: 

Protect yourself

Hang up: If you receive a phone call out of the blue from someone claiming to be a representative of Telstra and their call relates to a problem with your internet connection, just hang up.

Verify their details:  If you have doubts about the identity of any caller who claims to represent a business, organisation or government department, contact the body directly. Don’t rely on contact details provided by the person – find them through an independent source such as a phone book or online search.

They can call private numbers: Even if you are listed on the Australian Government’s Do Not Call Register, scammers can obtain your number fraudulently or from anywhere it has been publicly listed. 

Don’t let scammers press your buttons: 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.

Update computer security: Always keep your computer security up to date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a good firewall. Only buy computer and anti-virus software from a reputable source. If you think your computer’s security has been compromised, use your security software to run a virus check. If you still have doubts, contact your anti-virus software provider or a computer specialist.

Keep details private: Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.

Don’t give access: Never give a stranger remote access to your computer, even if they claim to be from a reputable business.

Been scammed? If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

Report: If you have lost money as a result of this type of scam please report the matter to your local police station. You can also report scams to the ACCC via SCAMWATCH or report a scam page or by calling 1300 795 995.