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Fraud guide

Service provider scams

Top tips to stay safe

Scammers are posing as trusted organisations like your phone or internet provider. They want to trick you into sending money or giving away your personal info or passwords to allow them to access your account.

Follow our five top tips to stay safe.

  1. Turn down requests for your personal info or passwords: genuine service providers will not contact you out of the blue to ask for these.
  2. Beware of urgency: scammers often rush you into making decisions or giving away your information.
  3. Protect your devices: never let anyone have remote access to them.
  4. Check for errors: spelling and grammar errors are common in scams.
  5. Contact your service provide directly: if you’re unsure about a call, text, or email, get in touch with your service provider, using their official website.

How to spot service provider impersonation scams

Scammers use different ways to trick you into believing they are your service provider. Here are the most common tactics:

  • Cold calls: Scammers may contact you claiming to be from your service provider.
  • Tech support calls: they may offer ‘urgent’ tech support, claiming your account has a virus or needs an upgrade. Never agree to these offers.
  • Emails and texts: these often include links to fake websites or ask you to call a number they control.
  • Upgrades and contracts: they may offer upgrades and contracts at a highly discounted rate.
  • Unexpected post: If you receive a device you didn’t order, contact the genuine sender to return it immediately.