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People should be on guard against a mobile phone scam that demands money with menaces, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association warned today.
Victoria Police said a mobile phone message demanding money be transferred into an overseas account has been sent to mobile phone users in Australia recently. This week, Victoria Police are urging people not to send money to the nominated bank account despite the threatening nature of the message. Police said the key phrase in the message was that money be sent to a Western Union Account in Asia. The messages can be threatening, stating that if money was not paid, then the person receiving the message would be harmed. Investigators understand these messages have been widely received in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The origin of the message is being investigated. Police urge any person receiving a message of this type, to ensure they do not send money to the nominated account. If recipients of the message feel threatened, please contact your local police, Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppers.com.au.
Consumers are warned to be wary of SMS and MMS messages and calls on their mobile phones from unrecognized numbers because they could be scams.
AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, said consumers should be careful before replying to unusual text messages from numbers they did not recognize.
“Be sure to check the number before replying, particularly if all you can see is a name. If the number begins with ‘19’ it is a premium rate service and you are likely to be charged at a higher rate for a text or call,” he said.
“You may be charged for future text messages that you receive as well as messages you send.
“If you don’t think you subscribed to the service, it could be a scam.”
Mr Althaus said sending threatening messages via a mobile phone were potentially against the Federal Crimes Act, which was punishable by jail. He said messages could be traced.
He said consumers could check with their mobile phone carrier to find out if it offers a service allowing them to check a number to find out which company sent the text message.
He said legitimate commercial messages from Australian businesses are required by law to include such information as:
“If you receive a SMS or MMS message offering products or services that do not include these items, it could be a scam,” Mr Althaus said.
“Also, be wary of so-called ‘free’ offer. Are they really free or are you paying for them elsewhere? If you read the words ‘T& Cs apply’ of ‘conditions apply’ find out what they are because the offer may not be so tempting when you consider all the terms and conditions.”
To view AMTA’s guide to help protect your mobile phone from scams see Consumer tips at www.amta.org.au
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