By Tate Papworth
A phone scam claiming to be from the National Broadband Network (NBN) is circulating in Brimbank.
The robocalls tell residents their home phones and internet will be disconnected within 24 hours because the NBN has become available in their area.
Victims are then asked to press one to speak to a technician and discuss the matter further.
The scammers are known to call the same number multiple times.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair Delia Rickard said there were a number of ways to identify the scammers.
“NBN will never phone you out of the blue to try to sign you up to a service over its network,” she said. “NBN is a wholesaler, meaning they don’t sell direct to the public. If you get an unsolicited call like this, it’s a big red flag that you’re dealing with a scammer.
“NBN will also never call you to remotely ‘fix’ a problem with your computer or to request personal information, like your Medicare number or your bank account numbers. Don’t listen to the reasons they give you for needing this information.
“Finally, if someone ever asks you to pay for a service using iTunes gift cards, it is 100 per cent a scam. Legitimate businesses, especially those like NBN, will never ask you to pay for anything in this way.”
