My name is Athreya Kannan and I work for Zip which is a credit company and we often get calls
from customers who have been scammed online or over the phone. I, therefore, wrote this up
to spread awareness of these scams so we can be more vigilant.
The Secrets of Scams – Athreya Kannan
My name is Athreya Kannan and I work for Zip which is a credit company and we often get calls
from customers who have been scammed online or over the phone. I, therefore, wrote this up
to spread awareness of these scams so we can be more vigilant.
The company the scammers would often claim they are from are eBay, Amazon, Telstra, Pay Pal, Origin or AGL (in rare cases). You must be cautious even if the company is not from this list.
They feed on the fear of loss and start off by telling you that you have been scammed already. They will already have information about your recent purchases from online databases that they use to gain confidence.
Traditionally, they would ask for your card information and other banking details. However, now, they ask you to download apps on your phone that provide them access to your device and all the information on it.
AnyDesk and QuickSupport are the most widely used apps and software for these scams although there could be others.
DO NOT DOWNLOAD AND SOFTWARES THE SCAMMER TELL YOU TO!
When getting a scam call:
Refrain from downloading software or apps on your phone as mentioned before.
The scammers will get their manager to talk to you, which most customer service lines will avoid unless requested by the customer.
NEVER PROVIDE YOUR CARD INFORMATION TO ANYONE. Legitimate companies will only ask for your bank details for refunds never your card details.
Do not assume the caller is from Australia just because the number is Australian.
What do you do Once you have been scammed?
Make sure you DELETE THE APPS the scammers made you download first.
Call your bank to STOP ALL PAYMENTS AND CANCEL YOUR CARD.
CALL THE POLICE and let the know you have been scammed. The police event number will help you and the other credit companies investigate the scam.
Make sure you CHECK YOURE CREDIT HISTORY and call any companies that show up during that period on your credit file to advise them on the scam.