The ACCC’s Scamwatch estimates about $2 billion was lost through scams last year, more than double the $851 million lost in 2020. | Simone Fox Koob
The voice at the other end of the line is calm and assured, informing the woman in a friendly British accent that her credit card details have been used to try and make a transaction in Mexico.“We do need to go ahead and cancel your card and send you a new card ... I do need to take you through quick security just to confirm I’m speaking to the account holder.”
The audio of this call, which took place in May this year, was released by Westpac as the Sydney-based bank warned of a spike in reported scam activity. Westpac general manager for fraud prevention and financial crime Chris Whittingham said “call spoofing” – where scammers use software to mask their phone number with the number of a known business – was a commonly employed tactic in impersonation scams.