Saturday, November 5, 2011

Telephone Scam Duping Australians into Buying Energy-Saving Devices

ESB - Electricity Saving Box advertised by scammers.A warning has been issued for Australians to beware of an ongoing telephone scam that has claimed thousands of victims and raked in a whopping $1.7 million for the con-men.

In the scam, off-shore telemarketers posing as Australian Electricity Commission employees dial up unsuspecting Austrailian consumers on Skype and threaten to cut-off their power within 72 hours or impose $1,000 fines unless they agree to install an energy-saving device in their home.

The telecrooks help the victim stomach the idea of being forced into purchasing the alleged energy-saving device for $219 by claiming it was a bond refundable in 3 months and that it could reduce energy bills by 30-40%.

Feeding them that story seems to have done the trick, since a reported 8,000 devices have been distributed since the scammers launched their campaign 18 months ago.

Currently the NSW Fair Trading is working with Australia Post and Consumer Affairs Victoria to stop the offshore payment transfers to the con-artists and bring the scam to a halt.

This telephone scam is just one of many that have surfaced in recent months.

Back in September, one of Microsoft’s Gold Partners was busted for running a computer support telephone scams in Canada, Australia and the UK.  They were stripped of their Microsoft Gold status shortly thereafter.

Always be skeptical of unsolicited phone calls where the caller is requesting that you make a purchase as you could easily become the victim of the latest scam.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest security threats.

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