Australia Warns of Increasing Copycat Scams Targeting Call Centers

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a warning to the public that cold-calling scammers, who have been targeting previous victims of money recovery scams, are operating rampantly. The number of cases in the past 6 months has skyrocketed by 129%.

These gangs target victims of previous scams by posing as government agencies, lawyers, or sometimes even as charitable organizations claiming they can recover lost funds. They often advertise online and employ deceptive tactics to gain personal information from victims, pretending to verify identities or setting up cryptocurrency accounts for fund recovery. In some instances, they impersonate victims themselves to endorse their services, urging victims to transfer money for fees or taxes.

In addition to these fraudulent gangs, the ACCC also warns about money tracking services that claim to assist in serious business matters by charging exorbitant fees. These services often involve cryptocurrency tracking, which falls outside government jurisdiction, making it difficult to retrieve funds even if accounts are traced, resulting in unsuccessful money recovery.

TLDR: Beware of cold-calling scammers posing as legitimate entities offering money recovery services and misleading money tracking services that may lead to financial losses.