An Invermay woman is warning others not to share their details when someone calls claiming to be from the ‘do not call register’.
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Trish Bourke received a call on Friday from a woman with a “thick accent” who said she was from the government service.
She said the woman attempted to find out her personal details, including her name, which is what raised the alarm.
“She asked how do I pronounce my first name and I said ‘it’s pronounced how you spell’ it,” she said.
“If I am on the register she should know my name and that’s when she started to get a bit ancy.”
Ms Bourke hung up before the woman could pry her bank details out of her, but she said other people may not be so lucky.
“I think their aim is to sell you an app on your phone and get your bank details,” she said.
She immediately reported the incident to Scamwatch.
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While Ms Bourke was not aware of the ‘do not call register ‘scam, it has been reported for a number of years.
The scam can include asking a person to pay to be on the ‘do not call register’, which is a free service.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority said it has previously received reports from members of the public about scam callers claiming to be from the register.
“The scammers claim to be from or work on behalf of the ACMA, the ‘do not call register’ or the government,” they said.
“Typically, the scammer starts the call by asking consumers how many telemarketing or nuisance calls they receive in a day. The caller then offers a device they claim will prevent all unwanted calls, explaining there is a charge for installation that can be paid in installments by credit card.
“The ACMA does not make calls to the public offering services related to the ‘do not call register’. It does not offer any device that can be installed to stop telemarketing calls and is not aware of any device that would be effective for this purpose.”
Last year, Tasmanians lost more than $1.6 million to scams.
More than $656,000 of that was to investment schemes, nearly $425,000 to dating schemes and more than $223,000 to hackers.
Tasmanians also lost out to unexpected prize and lottery scams, computer prediction software, sports investment schemes, scratchie scams, fake charity scams and ID theft.
Across the country, Australians lost nearly $300 million to scammers.
If you are concerned about a potential scam report it to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission online at www.scamwatch.gov.au.