Phone Scammers

Scammers keep on scamming. The IT team have been getting a few queries on a new phone scam.  It involves receiving a phone call from an unrecognised number, usually from overseas, but they hang up before you answer it.  Sometime a foreign voice will leave a message asking you to call the number back.  The trick is, calling the number forwards to a pay-by-the-minute premium call. Ouch!  Often times, there will be a recording at the other end that will try to keep you on the line as long as possible, and as a result, pay as much as possible!  Some scams are even registering New Zealand phone numbers to originate the call. 

What to do?

If you don’t recognise the long distance number or aren’t expecting a call, do not answer it, and certainly do not ring the number back.  If you are expecting an overseas call, ring them back on the number you know is legitimate.

Want to keep up to date on the latest phone scams?  Check out this webpage at the NZ Telecommunications Forum.

The one we’re seeing recently has been dubbed the “Wangiri” (One Ring and Cut) Fraud, but there’s a few others out there, too.  Somehow the IT team’s on-call phone number has come up on the scammer’s radar.  Just imaging what happens when a scammer pretending to be from Microsoft Technical Support calls one of the IT team….good times!

Want more crime fighting techniques?  See this handy guide in WiseUp:

https://wiseup.wisegroup.co.nz/hc/en-us/articles/115002650494-Protecting-from-Phishing-