ACCC says scam calls are increasing. Here’s what you can do to avoid them

No, it’s not your imagination. Scam calls and texts about your overdue tax bill, your “recent” traffic accident, or the arrival of a parcel you never ordered are increasing. 

Scammers use a range of tactics and technology to target Australians, usually seeking to obtain people’s money or personal details.

Scam calls mostly originate from overseas although some scammers use technology to make it appear like the call is coming from an Australian phone number — a practice known as spoofing.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chairwoman Delia Rickard said scam calls had in fact been increasing “for some years” and were becoming “incredibly frustrating” for authorities working to track them and ultimately block them.

“Telcos have blocked hundreds of millions of scam calls — the numbers are phenomenal,” she said. 

“We are seeing more scams and more scam calls and the phone remains the number one way for scammers to reach people.”