• Scam Alert!
Have you received a call or email claiming that your mobile number has been used to harass others and threatening an investigation by police or a government agency? Be wary – this is a scam.
Scammers are targeting people who speak Mandarin by pretending to represent a team member of E.Tel or ACMA.
If you receive one of these calls, hang up. Scammers are trying to trick you into providing your personal and financial information. E.Tel will never call or email you.
If you have any doubt whether a call or email you’ve received from the E.Tel is legitimate, hang up and contact our Customer Support on 1300 383 588 or at [email protected]. If you’re unsure if a call or email you’ve received from any company is genuine, contact them via the phone number or email address on their website. Do not rely on contact numbers or links that may be provided by email.
If you are concerned that your identity has been compromised or you have been a victim of a scam, contact your bank immediately and call IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
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• What is a Scam? How do I Identify a Scam?
A scam is a dishonest scheme or a fraudulent activity designed to cheat people out of their money or personal information. Scammers often use clever tricks to lure people into giving away their money or information, such as pretending to be a trustworthy organization or person, or offering something that seems too good to be true.
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For more information on common forms of scam, we recommend reading ACCC’s Little Black book of Scams which identifies the top and most common scams you should know about:
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Dating and romance scams
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Investment scams
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Threat and penalty scams
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Unexpected money scams
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Prize and lottery scams
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Online shopping, classified and auction scams
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Computer and mobile device scams
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Identity theft scams
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Job and employment scams
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Charity and medical scams
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Business scams
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• Blocking Suspicious or Unwanted Communications
You may receive scam Calls and SMS from scammers with the intent to trick you into giving away you personal information or your money. If you are suspcious of any communications you have received via Call or SMS, you can block further communications from the caller through your Android or iOS device via the links below:
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Android (Samsung, Google, Huawei etc.)
iOS (Apple)
The instructions may change depending on your device's manufacturer, please be sure to check your manufacturer's website if the above instructions do not apply for you.
• Mitigating Risk from Scams
You can reduce and mitigate your risk to Scams by:
(i) protecting your personal information and not sharing it with unknown or unsolicited callers;
(ii) contacting your financial institution immediately if your believe you have lost money to a scammer;
(iii) changing default PINs and passwords on newly acquired equipment and devices;
(iv) using strong PINs and passwords (e.g. Not “1234” or “0000” or “password” etc.);
(v) locking your devices with secure PINs;
(vi) ensuring that your voicemail PINs are secure;
(vii) disabling PABX ports and features that are not used (e.g. remote call-forwarding);
(viii) changing PINs and passwords regularly;
(ix) not responding to missed calls or SMs from unknown international Numbers, unknown Australian Numbers or an unknown source;
(x) not clicking on URLs or making return calls to telephone Numbers contained in the SMS from unknown international Numbers or unknown Australian Numbers or an unknown source;
(xi) Blocking suspicious or unknown Australian Numbers or international Numbers on devices and use of Blocking services or products, where available, on landlines; and
(xii) allowing unknown calls to go to voicemail and then listening to any message left to ascertain if this might be a genuine call.
• What should I do if I receive a Scam Call/SMS?
You can report the scam to ACCC's Scamwatch Service at www.scamwatch.gov.au.