A terrified Ballarat woman who was getting ready for bed says she was inconsolable when vicious scammers rang her house posing as workers from the Australian Tax Office.

Speaking in an authoritative voice the sham telephone operator told Bev, who didn’t want her surname disclosed, police would be coming to her house to arrest her in less than 40 minutes for failing to fork out a significant amount of money.

“I was shaking life a leaf,” Bev said. “I couldn’t console myself. I didn’t feel safe. I locked all the blinds.” 

Bev came home to hear a voice mail message on her telephone. The message told Bev to “urgently” call back a number (03) 4100 0116. It didn’t elude to why she had to make the call. 

“I had no idea what it was about. I thought is my daughter OK? I have a sick brother, is he OK?,” Bev said.

It was only later after returning the call and feeling petrified that Bev realised it was a scam.

“I called my accountant who reassured me and then I called police who offered to come to my house,” Bev said.

This case is one in many that The Courier has been notified of in recent weeks. 

A number of sham callers have rung to inform residents they are eligible for $7500 after being over charged by banks. Belinda Rutherford was told by a telephone operator that her bank owed her $7500 because she had been overcharged.

“First he said $7500, then said $6500 and changed his mind back to $7500,” Ms Rutherford said.

“I said to him – ‘I don’t get overcharged  by my bank, I keep a complete record’. He was shocked I wasn’t interested in $7500.”

Ms Rutherford, who doesn’t use the internet, said phone scams were definitely “on the rise”. 

Sham phone call watchdog ScamWatch urge those targeted to immediately contact police if they have been threatened, assaulted or had property stolen.