The resident was also told that if they purchased $400 worth of Google Play vouchers from the supermarket they would receive an even higher rebate in the form of a personally-delivered cheque.
However they were sworn to secrecy, told not to tell supermarket staff why they were buying the gift cards because ‘‘it’s none of their business.’’
The resident said the voice on the other end of the phone sounded legitimate, offering his name, phone number and office extension number so he could be reached again.
But something seemed off, and it became more prevalent when the request for the vouchers came into the equation.
The resident then told the scammer they were delayed by a pending visitor and wouldn’t be able to go to the supermarket on the same day, to which the scammer told her to call her visitor and tell them she wouldn’t be home.
Department of Human Services identity theft help desk assistant director Mark Cosgrove said his staff can offer customers advice on how to protect their personal information.
They can also check if unauthorised activity has occurred or been attempted.
‘‘If you’ve received a suspicious email, text message or telephone call from someone claiming to be from Centrelink, Medicare or myGov, don’t provide any personal information, and report this to scamwatch.gov.au,’’ he said.
‘‘We do send our customers emails and text messages, but we never include hyperlinks.
‘‘We also never ask for remote access to your computer, or ask you to pay a fee in order to receive a payment.
‘‘Customers should always access their online accounts from our genuine websites, for example my.gov.au.’’
If you believe a call is a scam, hang up and check with the organisation the scammer is claiming they are from. If it is a scam, report it at scamwatch.gov.au
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