In the past 12 months the number of comments from customers to Telstra about telephone scams has increased four-fold. In most cases, customers are called at home and told they need to pay for technical support to fix a problem that doesn’t exist on their home computer. 

The caller falsely claims to represent Telstra and asks for remote access to the computer. 

The scammers appear to want Telstra customers’ identities, especially personal banking details.

Telstra Country Wide south-west area general manager Bill Mundy said the trend during the past 12 months was concerning for the company.

“The criminals operating these scams are trying to sell customers fake software updates, or trick them into disclosing their personal details over the telephone so those details can then be used illegally,” Mr Mundy said.

“The increasing number of these telephone scams is concerning and consumers should be alert to any attempts to trick them into disclosing their credit card or banking details over the phone.”