We’ve heard that some students, particularly international students, are receiving calls or voicemail messages from a person who claims they’re from the Australian Federal Police or the Australian Taxation Office and who may threaten arrest and even deportation if you don’t pay money to them immediately.
These calls are not being made by the Australian Federal Police or the Australian Taxation Office.
Here are some tips on what to do if you do receive this type of call:
- Stop and think before you act.
- Don’t be pressured by a threatening caller.
- If someone is threatening you and asking you to pay a fine or a fee, hang up and do not respond.
- If you’re worried and want to contact the organisation, never use any contact details provided by the caller. Always verify their identity by calling the relevant organisation directly – find them through an independent source like an on-line search, phonebook or past bill.
- Never send money or give personal information, credit card or on-line account details to anyone you don’t know or trust and never by email or over the phone.
- If you’re concerned for your safety, please contact the Police, they are here to help!
- If you’re just not sure what to do, please ask the advice of a trusted person.
- You can contact the IT Service Desk on (02) 6773 5000 or via the portal https://une.service-now.com/sp_it
- Alternatively, you can contact UNE International Services on (02) 6773 3192.
- You can find more information about protecting yourself from Scams here.
Take Care,
UNE IT Support Team
Yes I got such a call; as soon as I picked up, a recorded “robot” voice played the threatening message, and I hung up, quite clear that it was a scam attempt. The concerning part is that our phone numbers seem to be accessible to the scammers, and I hope its not via our student records kept by UNE or OUA. My suspicions are tending towards OUA.
They use automated VOIP programs to call random phone numbers in Australia. They know nothing about you. It is an automated program that knows how phone numbers are formatted in Australia and calls random numbers. I don’t know much about technology.
They will also ask you to pay with iTunes gift cards or Google Play vouchers or some other untraceable way. Ask yourself, What would the ATO/AFP need iTunes gift cards for?
https://www.ato.gov.au/general/online-services/identity-security/verify-or-report-a-scam/?=QC53447_Link2