Just a reminder – NEVER EVER respond to unsolicited Emails or Phone Calls.
Recently an older person I know engaged with an unsolicited phone caller and divulged personal information that should never be provided to unknown people. I will not identify the individual. He/she is not unintelligent but is elderly, has no computer and lives alone with only a land line phone.
My friends and I are no spring chickens, but we all have computers with an understanding of the risks pertaining to scams. We keep in touch via Email and pass on warnings. For example, I was quick to warn everyone in my group about the phone “Phishing” scam where a recorded voice states that she is from NBN and service is about to be terminated unless you respond immediately. The main danger with this particular call is that the recorded female voice has an Australian Accent as opposed to most of the others that use people with thick foreign accents.
We all know that we are not important enough to warrant personal contact from NBN, Microsoft, The Tax Department, Telstra Technical Department etc, and most legitimate companies now no longer cold call.
Moreover, we are all too well aware that caller ID is meaningless. I now only answer calls from numbers stored in my contacts. (As soon as I initiate a relationship with a business or tradesman, I immediately put their number in my contacts.)
I do sometimes answer calls from local numbers, but I never engage, which is a bit of a pity as local worthwhile charities and organisations still use cold calling. In these cases, I politely explain that, as I have no way of verifying the authenticity of the call, I am unable to respond or continue the call and ask that my number be removed from their call list.
A summary of what transpired is:
Earlier in October, unsolicited contact was made via phone from a male with a strong accent but using an Australian sounding first name.
The caller ID was – NSW (Sydney) number 02 8378 7903.
The caller said he was from Solo Network or Solo Networks, (caller was difficult to understand). He stated that his company is an authorised NBN provider and was taking over older people’s land lines as Telstra only wanted high value and business clients and was “ripping off” small customers. Solo Network(s) could offer a much better phone “deal” at about half the price of the current Telstra contract.
He asked for the “usual” details to confirm identity plus information to qualify for a pensioner discount.
The caller used name and address details that could easily be obtained from the phone book to establish a rapport and gave repeated assurances that full details, including a copy of the contract, would be sent immediately by mail.
Date of Birth and pension card number were disclosed to confirm identity and get the pensioner discount, but a request for credit card details was initially refused.
Some days later in early November, contact was made again and, to enable the matter to proceed, the caller asked for and was given the related Telstra Account number and, for a further discount, the Credit Card Number including the CVV.
Soon after the person’s phone stopped working.
After a few days without a phone and as nothing had turned up in the mail, he/she became suspicious and sought my assistance.
To summarise a lengthy exercise, it was discovered that:
- The victim’s phone had been disconnected (it is assumed by Solo Network using the information disclosed to them.)
- Solo Network is, as at the date of this post, not on the list of NBN providers on the NBN web site.
- The 1300 number provided as a contact was never answered. The caller ID O2 83787903 was answered but it was difficult to obtain reliable information.
- A provided web address of https://www.solonetworks.com.au does not exist. The person on the phone was asked a number of times to confirm this URL with the spelling repeated using the phonetic alphabet. When she was told that no such address existed, she replied that the site “might be down at present”.
- Google search and variations of above URL also produced no results.
- However, at least two phone number reverse lookup sites had entries for the 02 phone number and mentioned Solo Network(s) in an unfavourable light
https://www.reverseaustralia.com/lookup/0283787903/
https://au.shouldianswer.net/phone-number/0283787903
- Telstra confirmed that the person’s phone service had been terminated.
CONSEQUENCES
Despite promises from Solar Network(s) that a new phone service would be set up “soon” and a contract with full details is “in the mail”, I had the unpleasant task of informing him/her that, without knowing anything about this telemarketer, caution should be exercised and it would be prudent to terminate any further dealings with them.
Therefore, I recommended that the following immediate action be taken:
- Call at the bank (in person as he/she now has no phone) and cancel the credit card and, if possible, flag his/her accounts for possible identity theft.
- Call at the Department of Social Security and inform them and get a flag/PIN on the pension card
- Contact Telstra (using my, a friend’s or relative’s phone), admit what has happened, and get the phone re-connected. Also get a new phone only plan with a flat fee for all calls within Australia including calls to mobiles. Telstra has such a plan for $55 that would probably be less than the Solo Network(s) offer considering it was for $43 per month PLUS call charges.
- Then call again at my place and use my computer to record it on the ACCC Scamwatch site and follow the procedure on https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/get-help/whis/here-to-get-help
- Immediately report any future associated fraud to Police. Explained in detail what to look out for in relation to this – loans and credit cards being taken out in his/her name etc.
- Warn all friends.
I also played for him/her some of the videos on the ACCC site- https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/about-scamwatch/tools-resources/videos
While most of us would like to think that we would not have been caught by something like this, we would all know elderly people who are at risk.
Naturally the victim is very embarrassed, and his/her first impulse was to cover it up. I explained that he/she is not to blame, and it is not certain that it is a scam. Nevertheless, keeping silent is the worst thing to do. The best thing is to tell and warn as many people as possible.
I took time to explain about scams in general and in particular not to respond to any unsolicited phone calls, mail offers or knocks on the door.
The “GOLDEN RULE” – YOU initiate the contact and only with established, known and reputable organisations and YOU get the phone number from the phone book and/or visit their place of business.
I offered help to go to The Good Guys and buy a phone with an inbuilt contacts function. The Uniden SS E45W is ideal with space for 200 contacts, big buttons, special loud ring and call blocking. The Good Guys have them for $89. After all contacts are transferred from his/her paper-based record to the phone, I told him/her to only pick up on calls from contacts or known phone numbers. All other calls should be allowed to go to message bank. Most scammers won’t leave a message but if messages are left, there will be time to investigate before returning the call.
This is the report put on the Australian Government’s ACCC Scamwatch Site
Contacted by phone and offered cheaper telephone plan. The caller stated his company (Solo Network(s)) is NBN authorised and they are taking over land lines for old people because Telstra is only interested in large and commercial customers. They said that I did not have a contract with Telstra and was free to change. For ID purposes plus a pensioner discount, they requested various details and I provided DOB, Pension card number but at that time I refused to provide my Visa card no. They said they would post out a contract. (I do not have internet/email.) Nothing happened and later on the 4th Nov they phoned again asked for my Telstra Account number and they also said that they could provide a 10% discount for using Visa. I then gave them the Telstra Account number and my Visa Card number including the CCV. My phone stopped working on the next Thursday 7th. I then realised something was amiss and sought help from a friend. Called 02 8378 7903 from friend’s phone and received assurances that contract was in the mail and my new phone would be operational “soon”. On request they advised URL for their site which was non-existent, but when questioned claimed that their site might be down.
My friend then became suspicious and further internet searches revealed that Solo Network did not have a web site, was not on the NBN list and was on a number of warning sites. I then took action to cancel my credit card, notify Dept of Social Services and Telstra to get phone back.