Police have issued an urgent warning after several Sydneysiders were allegedly tricked into handing over thousands of dollars in cash and gift cards.
NSW Police have reported an increase in elaborate phone scams linked to international organised crime groups in the last month.
Alleged scammers use a technique called ID spoofing, where caller purports to be from the police force or a government agency and demands money under threat of violence or arrest.
The caller convinces the person to hand over personal information and give instructions to either purchase gift cards or withdraw cash and hand it over to a particular person.
Elaborate Phone Scams Netting Thousands Across NSW
Sydney residents have been tricked into handing over thousands of dollars in cash at shopping centres as part of an elaborate phone scam.
One woman handed over $10,000 to a man she believed was an undercover police officer at a shopping centre at Miranda.
On December 4, she received a call from someone who told her they were from Service NSW and said that her tax file number and personal accounts had been compromised.
She was instructed to hand over the cash then call Cronulla Police Station to set up new accounts.
A 34-year-old man was arrested on December 11 over the scam. Police allege he has obtained $42,500 in cash from three separate women using scam phone calls.
The Roselands man faces four charges and will appear before Sutherland Local Court on 21 January.
Police say the elaborate phone scams are happening more frequently and are targeting people across NSW. They believe the scam is linked to transnational organised crime syndicates.
The scammers are using a technique called called ID spoofing, where the call appears to be coming from a number used by the government agency they say they represent.
The caller purports to be from the police force or a government agency and demands money under threat of violence or arrest, police say.
They convince the person to hand over personal information and give instructions to either purchase gift cards or withdraw cash and hand it over to a particular person.
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NSW Police issue warning after rise in elaborate phone scams
The NSW Police Force is warning the community about an elaborate phone scam, believed to be linked to transnational organised crime syndicates, which are targeting people across the state.
In the past month, several people across NSW have reported receiving a call from someone purporting to be a NSW Police Force officer or government agency representative, demanding money under the threat of violence or arrest.
Many of these calls are made using caller ID spoofing, where the number appears to be that of the agency they claim to represent.
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