Mobile phone scam warning – reminder to just hang up

If you receive a phone call from anyone claiming to be an employee of an online shopping site or ‘buy first – pay later’ business advising you there are issues associated with your account – just hang up and contact the company using an independently verified method of contact.

Scammers are contacting people claiming to work for online shopping sites or ‘buy first – pay later’ businesses so they can get remote access to your computer or mobile device.

These criminals are very convincing, and will request you install remote access software on your computer or mobile device so they can try to harvest your identity details, take over your email accounts by changing your passwords and steal your identity and money.

The scammers will try to create a sense of urgency stating there are issues with your account and will talk you through the process of them accessing your device, asking for your personal particulars such as your driver’s licence number.

Once access is gained to your device, the scammers may have access to all your information, emails, banking, and social media accounts.

Never allow anyone to have remote access to your computer or mobile device, and before you give over any information to someone you do not know, ask yourself, R U in Control? If in doubt, just hang up and contact the company contact the company using an independently verified method of contact that you find yourself.

If you have received a call like this report it to ScamWatch. If you have lost money, given remote access to your device or given over your personal particulars, report this to ReportCyber (www.cyber.gov.au/report)

Members of the public can learn about scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au or the Queensland Police Service’s R U in Control campaign at https://www.police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/r-u-in-control.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.

/Public Release. View in full here.