NSW Police have put out a warning over a new type of phone scam that is circulating, after receiving numerous reports from the public.
Police reported that hoax phone calls had been made by people pretending to be from The Rocks police station.
The attempted fraudsters would then attempt to take their target’s personal details over the phone.
Police received numerous calls from concerned community members, who claimed the fraudsters told them they had been identified as victims of a scam or online fraud.
Investigations are ongoing into the source of the calls.
Warning over ‘true blue’ texts from supposed ‘mate’
What to do if you get a scam call
Police repeated their warnings for how to avoid scam callers, including:
- If you receive a threatening phone call, hang up immediately.
- Do not disclose personal details to the caller.
- Never provide your personal or banking details to a person who calls you.
- Never provide your financial PIN or account passwords to anyone.
- Do not make any payments to the caller, either via phone, internet, or cash.
- 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.
- Contact police immediately to report the incident.
Anyone with further information has been asked to contact Crime Stoppers.