As scams become more "sophisticated and inventive," communications authorities are pushing for greater consumer awareness to help combat the problem.
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Impersonation scams are among the most common scams targeting customers.
Here's five that are most often reported to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA):
Amazon impersonation
Callers claim there is an issue with a your Amazon account and urge you to act immediately by providing personal information or funds will be taken from your account.
A spokesperson for Amazon said it would continue to invest in customer protection and customers should be aware of what the site will - and won't - ask for.
"Amazon will never ask for credit card information to verify your identity before helping with a customer service issue, ask for payment over phone or email, request that you purchase a gift card for any service, or download or install any software," the spokesperson said.
"Customers should report any suspicious calls and emails to Amazon so we can investigate and take action."
Banking/finance impersonation
Contact including phone calls, emails and texts that say there's been suspicious activity, unauthorised debits, or suspension on your bank account. They will ask for personal details to verify your identity.
In September, Westpac released audio of a scam call to raise awareness for customers.
NBN impersonation
Callers will try to gain access to your computer and personal information by saying they're from technical support team at NBN and there is a fault with your internet
Telstra impersonation
This scam is similar to the NBN scam where callers will claim you have issues with your service or internet and, posing as technical support, will try to access your computer and personal information.
eBay impersonation
You'll hear a recorded message that says you have made a purchase and your account will be charged, prompting you to provide your personal information.
So how do I spot a scam?
"All consumers need to exercise caution when dealing with companies by phone or online," ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin said.
"All five of the top reported scams impersonate trusted and well-known businesses, with scammers often displaying a fake number or sender information on your phone to make the contact look legitimate.
"Many businesses clearly state they will not contact you out of the blue or send messages with links seeking financial information or personal details, so always treat these calls with caution."
- Unsolicited contact. They unexpectedly call, SMS or email you claiming to be from a reputable business
- They know personal information. They have often already fraudulently obtained personal details like your name, ending digits on your credit card or approximate location, which makes them appear legitimate
- They want you to action something. They will often instruct you to complete an action while on the phone to them - like updating your banking details, increasing your daily payment limit, downloading an app or sending money to a 'new' account
- They use spoofing software. They may use software to send you a fake SMS that appears to be from the business they say they're calling you from while on the phone with you to convince you the call is genuine.
Consumers are advised not to open any links, provide any personal information to an unsolicited caller or text message, and consider switching to a brand's mobile phone apps if possible, as messages from applications are much more likely to be legitimate.
Stay calm and resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is or how threatening or intimidating the caller sounds - you can always contact businesses directly through publicly available contact details instead of information given by the caller.
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New rules to protect you
The ACMA introduced new rules in December 2020 that require businesses to identify, trace and block scam calls.
Ms O'Loughlin said to the end of September, these rules have stopped more than 800 million scam calls in Australia.
"In July this year we brought in new rules to combat the growing problem of SMS scams," she said.
"We are actively monitoring the effectiveness of the new rules. Early indications show promising results, with nearly 48 million scam SMS blocked from July to September this year."
The authority has also worked with government to protect consumers.
"The ACMA's scam telco action taskforce is also coordinating effort across industry and government on scams minimisation strategies," Ms O'Loughlin said.
"We are working with our international counterparts on this global invidious issue, most recently at a joint meeting with Canada, US, Hong Kong and Ireland regulators to share strategic insights on current initiatives and cross-border enforcement challenges.
"Regulators and industry must continue to adapt as scammers become increasingly agile, sophisticated and inventive."
- Learn more on the Scamwatch website.