There has been an increase in reports of scammers impersonating police officers by using official Queensland Police Service (QPS) phone numbers, in an attempt to obtain personal details to conduct fraudulent activity.
The practice known as 'caller ID spoofing' allows offenders to hide their real phone number while displaying a different number indicating they're from a trusted organisation such as QPS.
The caller impersonates an employee from the organisation (in this case, a police officer), to legitimise the scam, before demanding payment to prevent harmful action against you, or requesting personal identifying information.
Detective Superintendent Craig McGrath from the Financial and Cyber Crime Group is urging the community to remain alert to scam calls requesting money or personal information, noting police across Australia have also seen a rise in 'Chinese authority' scams, which target members of the Chinese community, particularly international students, asking them to transfer money or cryptocurrency to avoid being arrested.
"Police and legitimate government agencies or financial institutions will never ask for your banking details or request payments via gift cards, cryptocurrency or money transfers," Detective Superintendent McGrath said.
"We are seeing an increase in scams where offenders impersonate both local and overseas authorities, including Chinese officials, to intimidate victims into making payments or providing personal information.
"If you receive an unsolicited call, take steps to independently verify the caller's identity before sharing information or making any payment - regardless of the number displayed or who the caller claims to represent.
"If in doubt; hang up, locate the official contact number yourself, and make a new call to confirm their request.
"Honest people work too hard for their money to have criminals exploit them in this way, and QPS will continue to investigate anyone who targets Queensland communities.
Police remind everyone 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. 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 or a call demanding money, hang up immediately.
- Never provide your personal or banking details to a person who calls you.
- Do not make any payments to a caller, including via phone, internet or cash.
- Never allow a caller remote access to your devices, including your computer and telephone.
- Don't let scammers create a high-pressure situation to encourage you to make a decision on the spot.
If you have received such a call and made payment to a potential 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 phone scams at the Scamwatch website, and QPS's fraud and cybercrime resources, 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.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
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