Have you received a call or email claiming that your phone number has been used to harass others and threatening an investigation by police or a government agency? Be wary – this is a scam.
Scammers are targeting people who speak Mandarin by pretending to represent a phone service provider or the ACMA. Some calls also give an English language option.
The scammer will claim there has been illegal activity involving your phone number and threaten to investigate or report you to authorities. These calls and emails may look as if they are coming from an actual ACMA phone number or phone service provider’s email address. They may also mention genuine contact phone numbers or websites and include realistic looking attachments. This is a trick used by scammers to convince you the call or email is genuine.
If you receive one of these calls or emails, hang up or delete the message. Do not respond. Scammers are trying to trick you into providing your personal or financial information. The ACMA will never call or email to threaten to disconnect your phone number.
If you have any doubt whether a call or email you’ve received from the ACMA is legitimate, hang up and contact our Customer Service Centre on 1300 850 115 or at info@acma.gov.au. If you’re unsure if a call or email you’ve received from a phone service provider is genuine, contact them via the phone number or email address on their website. Do not rely on contact numbers or links that may be provided by email.
Scammers target everyone. We encourage Australians to discuss how to identify scams with friends and family. Learn more about how to protect yourself and those close to you on the ACMA website and make a report to Scamwatch.
If you’re concerned that your identity has been compromised or you’ve been a victim of a scam, contact your bank immediately and call IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
A version of this scam alert is also provided in Simplified Chinese:
骗局警告：假冒ACMA的骗局