WATCH the VIDEOFEDERAL Police are investigating a new type of scam that operates a fake bank call centre using an Australian phone number.
The call centre has automated computer voices to dupe callers into providing their credit card numbers.
It is linked to a large email scam, or phishing, campaign that imitates official messages from the Commonwealth Bank.
"This is the first time the AFP has seen the use of fraudulent call centres with Australian phone numbers in phishing scams," an AFP spokesperson said.
"The AFP is currently working with both the Commonwealth Bank and Australian phone providers in relation to this new and emerging development in phishing emails."
The phone number, which appears to be based in NSW, has been sent via email, SMS, or voicemail, the Commonwealth Bank said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it wasn't the first scam call centre in Australia, but it was a new development to be used in a bank phishing campaign.
"Telemarketing has always been a feature of the scam landscape and we expect this to continue because it is very effective," ACCC deputy chair Peter Kell told news.com.au.
"We have seen telemarketing scams in the investment area and in the holiday prize area where the ability of well-trained telemarketing operators to lull people into a false sense of security or get them over the line to provide their credit card number can be very effective."
Armando Dacal, director of sales and channel management at online security company VeriSign, said banks need to change how they communicate.
"I assume the banks will treat this as a one-off incident but the alarm is - they’ve got to find a better way and a more effective way of communicating with their customers," Mr Dacal said.
"When you're talking about online fraud and identity theft, it really is an arms race – and as more money has moved online, so have the bad guys. They're looking at ways of exploiting that and consumers need to be vigilant."
The Commonwealth Bank recommended consumers call them directly, and warned of the following scam traits:
- Email requests for private information or to collect prizes/rewards;
- Poor grammar and punctuation;
- Non-Australian voice recordings;
- Unusual or unrecognisable email or phone details
- Embedded Web Links/email address ‘click throughs’
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25591365-5014239,00.html
