Phone scammers target vulnerable banking customers in bushfire impacted communities

In a release issued today, the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) is warning banking customers in bushfire impacted areas to be alert to scam phone callers falsely claiming to represent a monitoring service.

A recent spate of scam phone calls has been made to cardholders in the areas of regional Victoria bordering NSW, including the regional city of Albury Wodonga.

Claiming to be a ‘Fraud Department’ or ‘Monitoring Team’, the phone callers are targeting victims who are already suffering significant personal impact from fires and evacuations, demanding they disclose card details, PINs and internet banking login details.

The tactics are heavy-handed and bullying in nature, targeting people who may be waiting for assistance.

Members who suspect they have received a scam phone call should:

1. Immediately hang up and call IMB on 133 462. We will not ask you to verify bank details or reveal PIN numbers and access codes in an unsolicited call.
2. Don’t trust information provided by the scammer. For example, when the scammer volunteers a phone number to be contacted on. Any information provided is likely to be false and designed to create an impression of believability.
3. Keep your banking details safe at all times. Scams operate out of call centres and are a highly organised activity. They know now to coerce people into providing information for the purpose of stealing funds from accounts or making transactions.

If you have any reason to suspect that a phone scam has occurred, please contact IMB on 133 462: our trained staff are here to help.