ACCC Phone Number Spoofing Scam in Australia. What You Need to Know.

Aussies are being urged to watch out for scammers making fake phone calls from what appears to be the Australian consumer protection watchdog.

According to a warning by The National Anti-Scam Centre, scammers use spoofing techniques to mimic official ACCC phone numbers to steal personal data from victims.

How the scam works

Scammers misuse publicly listed ACCC phone numbers (which are available on the agency’s website) to trick people into believing they’re receiving a legitimate call. In some cases, these fraudsters pose as ACCC representatives and ask for sensitive information, such as passwords or banking details. In other instances, they misuse the ACCC acronym to impersonate a completely unrelated organization and even speak in languages other than English to appear more convincing to their targets.

“Spoofing is when scammers disguise their phone number to make it look like they’re calling from a trusted organization — including government agencies like the ACCC — to deceive people into answering and sharing personal information,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe explained.

MUST KNOW: the ACCC won’t call consumers from its reception numbers and will never ask for sensitive information over the phone or by email.

How to Protect Yourself

If you get a call that feels suspicious or just a little off, trust your instincts (always) and hang up. Most importantly: never share personal information like passwords, banking details, or answers to security questions with any individual who calls you out of the blue – no matter the institution. Hang up and call the ACCC or other mentioned agency directly using the numbers from their official website.

“This is a tactic that helps scammers hide their true identity while posing as trusted institutions – it’s designed to lower your guard,” Lowe added. “If a call or message feels off, trust your instincts and hang up. It’s safer to end the call and check in directly with us.”

For more peace of mind when dealing with potential scams and scam-like calls try these free tools to outsmart scammers in their tracks:

• Bitdefender Scamio – Your friendly AI-powered scam detector assistant. Just send it screenshots, suspicious messages, or links via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, web browser or Discord, and it will tell you if you’re dealing with a scam.
• Bitdefender Link Checker – A free tool that checks links in real time and blocks known malicious and scam websites before they can harm you.

Use these tools as your first line of defense when you're unsure about a call, message, or link.

If you think you’ve been targeted, act fast:

• Contact your bank (or other financial institutions) immediately if you suspect financial loss.
• If you’ve shared personal information, reach out to IDCARE at 1800 595 160.
• Report scams to the Scamwatch service via scamwatch.gov.au.
• If contacted on WhatsApp, iMessage, or similar platforms, report the scam within the app too.

Remember, scammers rely on confusion and urgency. Staying informed and spread awareness to your friends and family to help protect others. If something feels wrong, pause, verify, and report. When in doubt, have a chat with Scamio or verify with Link Checker.