Cold callers posing as government representatives nearly cost a Victorian woman $200,000 in a bank scam.
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The would-be victim, named only as Anita, received a phone call from a "government agency" advising that her identity had been used to commit a large-scale fraud and that she could help catch the perpetrators by providing remote access to her account.
Willing to help, Anita monitored as the "agency" moved funds within her accounts but then became suspicious and contacted her local branch, where a staffer confirmed the requests had been fraudulent and stopped the transactions.
ANZ customer Anita narrowly missed becoming one of many victims linked to the bank who lost more than $6.5 million last summer to scammers.
"It's important to remember your digital personal information is just as valuable to a scammer as your money, so always be careful about the information you share online," ANZ Chief Information Security Officer Lynwen Connick said.
"We urge people to be screen smart this summer and protect their virtual valuables because when the holiday shopping season ramps up, so does the season for online scams."
People who fear they have been targeted by scammers should contact the ACCC via www.scamwatch.gov.au and their bank.
Australian Associated Press
