Scam alert as Logan targeted
RANDOMLY receiving an urgent call from the Queensland Department of Accident Claims might surprise some Logan residents.
It certainly surprised 66-year-old Nannette Sully - especially since that particular government department doesn't even exist.
The Loganholme grandmother is warning residents to be wary of a potential phone scam which she was recently a target of.
Mrs Sully said the scammer posed as a government official from the fake department and pressured her to disclose her personal details.
"I'd never heard of that department, so I was suspicious right away," Mrs Sully said.
"I've had people try and scam me on the phone before and this didn't sound right, so I said I wasn't interested and hung up."
Mrs Sully believes that had she supplied any personal details to the caller, he would have used that information to commit identity fraud.
A representative from the Office of Fair Trading confirmed that no such Queensland department existed.
"I'm fortunate in that I have learned about the different types of scams people should look out for on the Office of Fair Trading website," she said.
But Mrs Scully said it was unfortunate that so many people, particularly old people were so vulnerable when it came to fraud.
She said since many elderly people were less computer savvy and not aware of modern scam technologies, they were generally more trusting and therefore seen as soft targets by scammers.
Queensland Police detective superintendent Brian Hay, who has worked in the police fraud and corporate crime division for the past eight years, said hundreds of Australians were victims of phone and internet fraud each year.
For more information visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.
