Scams like these

[AuSammy]

Did the prove id thing with the 2 mobile phone companies I have prepaid with.
Just have to show 2 points of id.
Not sure if this will indeed stop Aus scamming Aus, they just took id # of the id documents.
Didnt even scan photos, tho Optus said photos was needed if online verification, but going into a store, they just need the mobile ph # involved, and show id, and exp dates.
Need home address tho.
So far, Optus has chased me up on this, but went to Telstra too.
Other mobile phone companies might start this up, sooner or later.

interesting. Haven’t been contacted at all.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I am on Optus, where you go online to recharge prepaid.
As I had my Aus passport and POA (age card, no dl), I thought I would/might as well go into Telstra as well.
There is some blah somewhere, that ACMA and Anti Scam Centre have brought in a new rule, that they want id.
Think I read it started 01Jul26, so maybe the mobile phone companies are given 6 months or so to chase up customers.
Not sure what the mobile phone companies would do, if the customer ignores the (maybe soon to come), emails.
I think too, that Optus got "burnt", so they are now doing it first.
If you are on prepaid, maybe pop into a Voda/Optus/Telstra store and ask.
Takes about half an hr or so, first they will send a 6 digit 2fa code to your mobile phone, you accept that and tell them the code, then they get your dl/passport/POA cards, they enter the data/details into their ipad/laptops, you "accept the data share", yeah, yikes, (with all their breaches), and thats it.
Telstra also will/might confirm you have the email.
Not sure if this will stop the scammers, press 1 for English, 2 for Chinese tho.
I think those culprits are most likely overseas born Asians (we all know from where), and that the phone numbers are most likely Aussie, and then the call is sent overseas.
Pure speculation of course, as I dont answer the calls/phone them back, ...
But it take all sorts.
The Gina/Andrew/Dick ones, are maybe the other side of our Asian friends, the ones more towards Europe than north towards Russia.
===

ACMA Proposes Digital ID for Verification of Prepaid SIM in...

Quick Read Australian telecommunications companies might soon implement Digital ID for verifying prepaid SIM cards. The ACMA's initiative seeks to minimize...

techbest.com.au

 

[Himeno]

ActewAGL did the same thing for the latest bill as they did the same time last year, claiming 10x usage for the gas (hot water) as normal.
Most of the recent reads have been estimates, but have been more reasonable and closer to what the actual reads have shown, so I've just paid them.
This most recent estimate claimed 10 times usage and billed 3x the normal amount, so I sent them a self read.

The photo of the meter I sent them had a lower reading then their estimate for the prior bill. So now they've reissued the past 2 bills (May and Aug) to fit with the reading I sent them.

I would like to know how they can see an average daily use of 2-5MJ for 9 months of the year, then suddenly claim average daily use of 52MJ for the other 3 months.

 

[bPeteb]

It looks like one of the data breaches I've been caught up in has bitten me. I'm going with the infamous QF breach but who knows.

I received an email from Clear Score this morning letting me know I'm late with my CBA personal loan repayments. I haven't banked with CBA for more than 30 years. I called CBA and yes, there is a personal loan, and it matches the details provided on the report. Previous address by the sounds of things. Dispute raised. I have to go into CBA in the city to provide my ID, report to the police, contact my current bank to advise.

What ID did they use? Hopefully CBA will tell me soon so I can replace them.

FFS!

 

[AuSammy]

ActewAGL did the same thing for the latest bill as they did the same time last year, claiming 10x usage for the gas (hot water) as normal.
Most of the recent reads have been estimates, but have been more reasonable and closer to what the actual reads have shown, so I've just paid them.
This most recent estimate claimed 10 times usage and billed 3x the normal amount, so I sent them a self read.

The photo of the meter I sent them had a lower reading then their estimate for the prior bill. So now they've reissued the past 2 bills (May and Aug) to fit with the reading I sent them.

I would like to know how they can see an average daily use of 2-5MJ for 9 months of the year, then suddenly claim average daily use of 52MJ for the other 3 months.

Estimated usage seems to be either an ambit claim for more profit or a secret dark art.

A few years back we went overseas for 3 months and shut absolutely everything off in our apartment. Arrived back to an electric bill for double the usage of the same period the year before. Obviously dispute raised and formal read ended up with a retraction and minor refund for the previous period.

 

[Forg]

Estimated usage seems to be either an ambit claim for more profit or a secret dark art.

A few years back we went overseas for 3 months and shut absolutely everything off in our apartment. Arrived back to an electric bill for double the usage of the same period the year before. Obviously dispute raised and formal read ended up with a retraction and minor refund for the previous period.

You never get any sort of interest back for these things.

I'm no Business person, but in Businesses with the ability to leverage it, isn't it worthwhile financially to get access to money sooner?

So if "they" (where "they" can be providing anything with a meter) are over-estimating a bunch of usage counts, they're making money out of it, even if they pay you back after a few months or a year or whatever.

 

[TheCollecter]

It looks like one of the data breaches I've been caught up in has bitten me. I'm going with the infamous QF breach but who knows.

I received an email from Clear Score this morning letting me know I'm late with my CBA personal loan repayments. I haven't banked with CBA for more than 30 years. I called CBA and yes, there is a personal loan, and it matches the details provided on the report. Previous address by the sounds of things. Dispute raised. I have to go into CBA in the city to provide my ID, report to the police, contact my current bank to advise.

What ID did they use? Hopefully CBA will tell me soon so I can replace them.

FFS!

Somebody scammed CBA - they didn't scam you.

Is there some suggestion that the onus of proof is somehow on you?

 

[bPeteb]

Somebody scammed CBA - they didn't scam you.

Is there some suggestion that the onus of proof is somehow on you?

No, they were very good on the phone. Raised a dispute straight away. Told me the next steps to follow.

I've raised a case with IDCare. Just been to the West End police station. Sent away with a 17 page form to fill in.

On my way to the branch in the city.

 

[Forg]

That may be a scam the authorities might be able to do something about, as unlike the annoying 'phone calls from a borderline-legal call centre in Manila there might be some sort of record of the locations & transactions & records/photos of the person who took out that loan.

 

[bPeteb]

And... going with not QF breach.

CBA has been excellent. They showed me what was used - passport, dl and a 2025 tax assessment!! The last one is the biggest concern. I haven't applied for a loan or ccard for years ago how how had that been obtained?

Anyways. CBA has locked the two profiles opened with my docs. I've lodged credit blocks with Equifax and Experian. Replaced my dl and I'm in the process of requesting a replacement passport. Call to ATO is last on the list.

What an f'n pain in the butt.

 

[VPS]

No, they were very good on the phone. Raised a dispute straight away. Told me the next steps to follow.

I've raised a case with IDCare. Just been to the West End police station. Sent away with a 17 page form to fill in.

On my way to the branch in the city.

did you get an Equifax subscription with the Qantas data breach - they gave me a year's free. If not it might even be worth paying for the year

And... going with not QF breach.

CBA has been excellent. They showed me what was used - passport, dl and a 2025 tax assessment!! The last one is the biggest concern. I haven't applied for a loan or ccard for years ago how how had that been obtained?

Anyways. CBA has locked the two profiles opened with my docs. I've lodged credit blocks with Equifax and Experian. Replaced my dl and I'm in the process of requesting a replacement passport. Call to ATO is last on the list.

What an f'n pain in the butt.

ah we posted at the same time - so ignore my message

And yes what an effing PITA and waste of time but scary

 

[bPeteb]

Was just thinking about the 'tax assessment' form I was shown and after looking at this year's assessment I've realised it was a dodgy mockup.

It's a shame CBA didn't realise this. My address was incomplete (no apt number) and my assessable income was expressed as $Axx_,000. Who's income is a perfect round figure? And the assessment doesn't have an A after the $.

If CBA does get back in touch I'll suggest they need to look at things like that much more closely.

 

[TheCollecter]

Was just thinking about the 'tax assessment' form I was shown and after looking at this year's assessment I've realised it was a dodgy mockup.

It's a shame CBA didn't realise this. My address was incomplete (no apt number) and my assessable income was expressed as $Axx_,000. Who's income is a perfect round figure? And the assessment doesn't have an A after the $.

If CBA does get back in touch I'll suggest they need to look at things like that much more closely.

CBA approves a fake loan application and pays it to someone without realising your contact details are incorrect, so far so good

BUT the second "you" miss a payment they can magically find you in minutes!

Is it just me?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It looks like one of the data breaches I've been caught up in has bitten me. I'm going with the infamous QF breach but who knows.

I received an email from Clear Score this morning letting me know I'm late with my CBA personal loan repayments. I haven't banked with CBA for more than 30 years. I called CBA and yes, there is a personal loan, and it matches the details provided on the report. Previous address by the sounds of things. Dispute raised. I have to go into CBA in the city to provide my ID, report to the police, contact my current bank to advise.

What ID did they use? Hopefully CBA will tell me soon so I can replace them.

FFS!

If you think indepth, anyone with the skills, can make realistic looking id.
DL would be the easiest, and Medicare card.
Just need a 3d printer than can print on plastic, will be expensive, but would expect people in the know, can do it.
Either that, or that they have applied online, and that the verification matches your (old) records, via Experian etc.
===
Very hard to say for sure tho.
---
Just like for eg, for a while over the past 2 years, on a previous card, I would buy drinkng water in bottles from those Coca Cola vending machines, maybe one every few days, and yep, my debit card then started showing zero $ authorization s, then it started with $25 uber eats.
Another time, my bank sent me a message, and I rang the 13 phone #, ie, the message said to contact bank, the girl said my card # appeared on something called "list", and they dont know how or where it started, this was before the uber eats one.
---
ANZ falcon tho, probably is the best, havent tried it, but it might be the best one to avert all this weird odd transactions, they say they keep an out for it.
===
To sum up my waffle, maybe its that all your data, was matched into a likely document, or online acceptable id list, and they started with that.
As for how they know you dealt with CBA in the past, most likely the data/info is on the darkweb
Maybe that the QFF data breach, had that loan with CBA as you had earnt rewards points with CBA in the past.
---

It's easy to create fake NSW digital driver's licences, researchers say

Security vulnerabilities make it easy to modify NSW's digital driver's licence system to create fake IDs.

www.crikey.com.au

===
Edit/update: wow, they used a passport!/?
In your name?/!

 

[Forg]

ANZ falcon tho, probably is the best, havent tried it, but it might be the best one to avert all this weird odd transactions, they say they keep an out for it.

I'm not convinced that's any more than marketing, and that ANZ does any of That Stuff more than the other big banks. A lot of the time they're on the hook for scam charges, so it's in their interest to look out for it.
We're with ANZ, and I've had my card blocked when I did something which was out of character ... for example, and because of the forum we're on, it was blocked once when I used it on Europe a few times, work bought the airfare so there was no airfare-purchasing activity on my accounts and yet suddenly these multiple small transactions in overseas currency appeared - and I got blocked. Fortunately was easy enough to get unblocked.

 

[bPeteb]

If you think indepth, anyone with the skills, can make realistic looking id.
DL would be the easiest, and Medicare card.
Just need a 3d printer than can print on plastic, will be expensive, but would expect people in the know, can do it.
Either that, or that they have applied online, and that the verification matches your (old) records, via Experian etc.
===
Very hard to say for sure tho.
---
Just like for eg, for a while over the past 2 years, on a previous card, I would buy drinkng water in bottles from those Coca Cola vending machines, maybe one every few days, and yep, my debit card then started showing zero $ authorization s, then it started with $25 uber eats.
Another time, my bank sent me a message, and I rang the 13 phone #, ie, the message said to contact bank, the girl said my card # appeared on something called "list", and they dont know how or where it started, this was before the uber eats one.
---
ANZ falcon tho, probably is the best, havent tried it, but it might be the best one to avert all this weird odd transactions, they say they keep an out for it.
===
To sum up my waffle, maybe its that all your data, was matched into a likely document, or online acceptable id list, and they started with that.
As for how they know you dealt with CBA in the past, most likely the data/info is on the darkweb
Maybe that the QFF data breach, had that loan with CBA as you had earnt rewards points with CBA in the past.
---

It's easy to create fake NSW digital driver's licences, researchers say

Security vulnerabilities make it easy to modify NSW's digital driver's licence system to create fake IDs.

www.crikey.com.au

===
Edit/update: wow, they used a passport!/?
In your name?/!

Yep. We've been asked to send copies of passports for tickets to things when we've been overseas. In hindsight stupid.

Those photos are on our phones and although we try to avoid using public WiFi networks, at times we have. Stupid again because this is when others can access your phone.

Once bitten, not ever again.