{"id":2919,"date":"2019-05-30T06:59:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T06:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=2919"},"modified":"2019-05-30T06:59:55","modified_gmt":"2019-05-30T06:59:55","slug":"police-warn-of-phone-scam-newcastle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2019\/05\/30\/police-warn-of-phone-scam-newcastle\/","title":{"rendered":"Police warn of phone scam – Newcastle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newcastle Police are issuing a warning for members of the public to be wary of potential phone scammers, who attempt to coax people into handing over their personal and financial details.
\nOfficers from Newcastle City Police District have received reports from people who have received phone calls from someone claiming to represent either, NSW Police Force, or the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
\nThe caller claims to be from the ATO and tells the person that they have an outstanding bill or debt that must be paid, or a warrant will be issued for their arrest.
\nThe number displayed on the caller identification is that of the local police station, and it is unclear how the scammers are utilising the actual number.
\nPolice are warning members of the public to be wary of any requests for personal details or payments made over the phone and are urging them not to give any personal details or to transfer any money to people over the phone.
\nCommunity members are reminded that the Australian Taxation Office will never:
\n\u2022 threaten you with immediate arrest
\n\u2022 ask you to pay money to receive a refund or payment from us
\n\u2022 ask you to pay a debt via iTunes vouchers, or pre-paid credit card or store gift cards
\n\u2022 ask you to provide personal information, such as your tax file number (TFN) or credit card number, via email or SMS
\n\u2022 ask you to pay money into a personal bank account
\n\u2022 direct you to download files from the internet, or open attachments in unsolicited emails.
\nFurther information can be found by clicking on the following link.
\nhttps:\/\/www.ato.gov.au\/general\/online-services\/identity-security\/verify-or-report-a-scam\/<\/a>
\nFurthermore, the following advice on how to protect yourself is provided by SCAMWATCH
\nProtect yourself:
\n\u2022 If you receive a phone call out of the blue from someone claiming to be a representative of Telstra and their call relates to a problem with your internet connection, just hang up.
\n\u2022 If you have doubts about the identity of any caller who claims to represent a business, organisation or government department, contact the body directly. Don\u2019t rely on contact details provided by the person \u2013 find them through an independent source such as a phone book or online search.
\n\u2022 Remember that you can still receive scam calls even if you have a private number or have listed your number on the Australian Government\u2019s Do Not Call Register (link is external). Scammers can obtain your number fraudulently or from anywhere it has been publicly listed such as in a phone book.
\n\u2022 Don\u2019t let scammers press your buttons \u2013 scammers use detailed scripts to convince you that they\u2019re the real deal and create a high-pressure situation to make a decision on the spot.
\n\u2022 Always keep your computer security up to date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a good firewall. Only buy computer and anti-virus software from a reputable source.
\n\u2022 Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.
\n\u2022 Never give a stranger remote access to your computer, even if they claim to be from a reputable business.
\n\u2022 If you think your computer\u2019s security has been compromised, use your security software to run a virus check. If you still have doubts, contact your anti-virus software provider or a computer specialist.
\n\u2022 If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
\nReport:
\n\u2022 If you have lost money as a result of this type of scam, please report the matter to your local Police Station.
\n\u2022 You can also report scams to the ACCC via SCAMWATCH or report a scam page or by calling 1300 795 995.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Newcastle Police are issuing a warning for members of the public to be wary of potential phone scammers, who attempt to coax people into handing over their personal and financial details. Officers from Newcastle City Police District have received reports from people who have received phone calls from someone claiming to represent either, NSW Police … Continue reading “Police warn of phone scam – Newcastle”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2919\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}