Australians Alerted to New 'Spoof Call' Scam Posing as Consumer Watchdog

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A warning has been issued to Australians about a scam where fraudsters are allegedly spoofing the phone numbers of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to obtain personal details.

The National Anti-Scam Centre, operating under the ACCC, alerted the public after discovering the scam. Scammers are using ACCC’s official phone numbers, which can be found on its website.

Here’s what you need to understand about the new scam, the signs to watch for, and the actions to take if you become a target.

How scammers are impersonating the ACCC

These scammers are reportedly posing as ACCC representatives using these phone numbers to solicit personal information from unsuspecting individuals.

According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, the numbers have been “spoofed”, and the ACCC does not make calls from the publicly listed numbers.

ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said: “Spoofing is when scammers disguise their phone number to make it look like they’re calling from a trusted organisation — including government agencies like the ACCC — to deceive people into answering and sharing personal information.”

“This is a tactic that helps scammers hide their true identity while posing as trusted institutions — it’s designed to lower your guard.”

If a call or message feels suspicious, the ACCC recommends ending the call and contacting the agency directly to verify the information.

How to spot the ACCC phone scam

In some of the reported incidents, scammers requested sensitive information over the phone, misused the ACCC acronym to impersonate an unrelated organisation, or spoke in a language other than English.

The ACCC emphasizes that it will never make unsolicited calls or send emails to request personal information, such as passwords, banking information, or responses to security questions.

The ACCC also does not charge money for its services and does not threaten or pressure you to stay on the line.

If a caller does any of these things, it could be a scam. The ACCC suggests hanging up and reporting the incident.

The National Anti-Scam Centre also said ‘urgent’ requests asking people to ‘act immediately’ could be a sign of a scam.

What to do if you have been targeted by a scam

If you receive an unusual call, message or email, consider whether it could be fake — even if it appears to come from an organisation you know and trust.

The ACCC advises if something feels wrong, it is best to act quickly. End the call, and contact the organisation directly yourself to verify if the call was real or not.

Any scams should be reported to ScamWatch, and messages received on platforms like WhatsApp or iMessage should also be reported.

If you have provided personal information, contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 and contact your bank immediately.