Make Sure You Don’t Fall For This Common Broadband Scam

Consumers are being scammed in record numbers as the NBN rollout reaches its peak, says the ACCC.

Fraudsters cashed in during 2017, scamming a total of $67,894 in 566 cases reported to the consumer watchdog — up 250 per cent on the previous year.

The scams usually involve cold-calling people, claiming to be from the NBN and saying there is a problem with the user’s computer. If the scammers can get remote access to a computer, they then steal credit card details and other valuable personal information.

“Australians over 65 are particularly vulnerable to this scam with fraudsters using phone calls to target their victims,” an ACCC spokeswoman told The Australian.

“NBN will never phone you out of the blue to try and sign you up to a service over its network. NBN is a wholesaler, meaning they don’t sell direct to the public. If you get an unsolicited call like this, it’s a big red flag that you’re dealing with a scammer.”