Scammers posing as Fair Trading officers |
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is warning Queenslanders about scammers posing as government or company representatives saying they can get back money for overcharged bank fees.
The Office of Fair Trading have received reports of Queenslanders receiving calls from a person saying they were from OFT.
The scammer calls consumers stating he/she is from OFT and gives out the public counter address in Charlotte Street, Brisbane. The scammer tells the consumer they have thousands owing to them in overcharged bank fees and offer to help the consumer reclaim the owed fees. The consumer is asked to provide bank details for the fees to be directly deposited.
The Office of Fair Trading does not call consumers offering to get back overcharged bank fees. Under no circumstances does it ask consumers to send money or provide personal banking details.
Impersonating a Fair Trading officer is a serious matter and carries a maximum penalty of $10, 000.
If you receive a call by these people you should hang up immediately. Also beware of similar calls and offers and if in doubt contact the Office of Fair Trading.
If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, lodge a complaint through the OFT website or by calling 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
Last reviewed 28/11/2011 |
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