Detectives from the Financial and Cyber Crime Group have issued a warning about a scam using Queensland Police Service (QPS) phone numbers to impersonate police in an attempt to obtain personal details over the phone.
Recent reports indicate the scammers are using a practice known as caller ID spoofing, a tactic used by offenders which allows them to hide their number and display a different number to indicate the incoming call is from a trusted organisation.
QPS have received numerous calls from concerned community members, reporting they have received phone calls from various police stations.
A cold-call scam involves receiving a call from what appears to be a trusted or well-known government phone number and the caller impersonating an employee from the organisation (in this case a police officer) to legitimise the scam.
The scammer can then demand a form of payment to prevent action against you or requests personal information to confirm an identity.
Detective Acting Superintendent Kerry Lofdahl from the Financial and Cyber Crime Group urged Queensland residents to always be vigilant when receiving phone calls from people asking for money or personal details.
"Police, or any other legitimate government department or financial institution, will never call you and ask for your personal banking information or payments in gift cards, cryptocurrency or money transfers.
"It is important to take independent steps to verify a caller's identity before providing any personal information or payments of any sort, irrespective of the phone number displayed, or who a caller claims to work for.
"Make your own enquiries if you do receive a phone call from what appears to be a police station, take down the caller's details, find a number yourself and dial it in, rather than returning a call you may have missed or were directed to," said Detective Acting Superintendent Lofdahl.
Police would like to remind Queenslanders to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of being scammed:
- 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;
- Never provide your financial PIN or account passwords to anyone;
- If you receive a threatening phone call (and demanding money), hang up immediately;
- Do not disclose personal details to the caller;
- Never provide your personal or banking details to a person who calls you;
- Do not make any payments to the caller, either via phone, internet, or cash;
- Never allow a caller remote access to your devices including your computer and telephone.
- Don't let scammers pressure you - scammers create a high-pressure situation to make a decision on the spot;
If you have received such a call and made a payment to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately and report the matter to the Australian Cyber Security Centre - ReportCyber.
If you did not lose any funds you can still report the incident to Scamwatch.
Learn more about this scam at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au and R U In Control.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
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