South Australia Police have received another report of a scammer modifying a caller ID to appear as though the call is coming from South Australia Police.
Yesterday, Monday 22 June, numerous members of the public received telephone calls from a person claiming that the recipient of that phone call was under investigation for a crime and requested personal information.
The caller also asked the victims to google the telephone number, which is that of a South Australia police station, however the call was NOT being made from that location.
Unfortunately modifying the caller ID is a simple technique which can be used by scammers as a way to build credibility by making a call or SMS appear to come from a reputable agency.
South Australia Police say police will never call you out of the blue and accuse you of a crime.
Here are some tips to help keep you safe:
Never download apps or transfer money to unknown callers – police will never ask you to do this.
Never trust the caller ID – scammers can manipulate it to make a call appear legitimate.
Never give in to pressure – scammers often use fear and a sense of urgency manipulate their victims.
If you are unsure, hang up the phone immediately – contact the police on a known number.
If you have found yourself victim of a scam visit your local police station or make a report at www.cyber.gov.au
Image: Download Scam, Alert, Cybersecurity. Royalty-Free Stock Illustration Image – Pixabay
