The National Anti-Scam Centre is warning Australians to remain vigilant following reports scammers have been impersonating phone numbers belonging to the ACCC in an attempt to steal personal information.
The ACCC and the National Anti-Scam Centre, which operates under the ACCC, have become aware of scammers using publicly available ACCC phone numbers, which are listed on the agency's official website.
In some reported cases, the scammers claimed to be representatives of the ACCC and requested sensitive information over the phone. In others, they misused the ACCC acronym to impersonate an unrelated organisation and spoke in a language other than English.
The National Anti-Scam Centre warns that the ACCC phone numbers have been 'spoofed'. The ACCC does not make calls from its reception numbers.
"Spoofing is when scammers disguise their phone number to make it look like they're calling from a trusted organisation - including government agencies like the ACCC - to deceive people into answering and sharing personal information," ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
"This is a tactic that helps scammers hide their true identity while posing as trusted institutions - it's designed to lower your guard. If a call or message feels off, trust your instincts and hang up. It's safer to end the call and check in directly with us."
The ACCC and the National Anti-Scam Centre will never 'cold' call or email consumers and ask for your personal information such as your passwords, bank details or answers to security questions. The ACCC does not charge money for its services and would never threaten or pressure you to stay on the line.
If you receive a call claiming to be from the ACCC where personal information such as passwords or bank details are requested, do not provide this information and hang up.
"We encourage all Australians to report scams - every report helps us track patterns and protect others," Ms Lowe said.
The National Anti-Scam Centre also reminds the community to be extremely wary of urgent requests asking people to act immediately, and to never provide personal information if unsure. Do not click on any links or download attachments from messages unless you are sure it is someone you can trust.
How to spot and avoid scams
STOP - Don't give money or personal information to anyone if you're unsure. Scammers will create a sense of urgency. Don't rush to act. Say 'no', hang up, delete.
CHECK - Ask yourself could the call or text be fake? Scammers pretend to be from organisations you know and trust. Contact the organisation using information you source independently, so that you can verify if the call is real or not.
PROTECT - Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you lose money. If you have provided personal information call IDCARE on 1800 595 160. The more we talk the less power they have. Report scams to the National Anti-Scam Centre's Scamwatch service at scamwatch.gov.au when you see them. If you're contacted on a messaging platform like WhatsApp or iMessage, please also report the scam in the app.
