CENTRELINK scam calls have resurfaced in Ballarat, this time as a follow-up to missed pension increases.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ballarat pensioner Keith Pitman received an automated message on his phone answering service claiming to be from the federal welfare agency about authorisation for an aged pension increase.
The message claims Mr Pitman had not responded to letters from the department then continued by asking him to select a numbered option to confirm his details.
The message also made reference to back payments.
Mr Pitman said he could tell the call was a fake, but was concerned others more trusting might become confused by the claims.
“I was lucky I was away from home at the time so I didn’t even take the call, but the message left goes for some time,” Mr Pitman said.
“Some people can get worried by these calls. Some calls like this can be threatening.”
Mr Pitman has reported the call to Centrelink and Consumer Affairs offices in Ballarat, federal MP Catherine King’s office and at the police station.
He said the original call came from an overseas number.
The Department of Human Services advises people to not give out personal information.
The department does call, text or email people and may ask questions to confirm they are speaking to the correct person, including asking for the person’s name and address.
But, the department never asks people to:
- send personal information by email, SMS or social media
- transfer money or purchase gift cards or vouchersto receive a payment or service
- provide passwords or Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to bank accounts
- lick on links or download files from the internet or email attachments
- pay a fee to receive a payment or service
If unsure, ask for a trusted second opinion from a friend or colleague and instead call the department on a phone number listed on the website.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission data shows Australians had lost almost $23,000 in phishing scams by March this year. Almost 51 per cent of such scams were delivered by phone.
For information on other scams in our area visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.