Dob in a fake text and win a new car – that’s the offer on the table for Aussies as a major toll road operator tries to fight back against scammers.
Transurban is urging people who receive fake texts demanding immediate payment of toll fees to report them after new data showed many Australians were either taken in by the scammers – or simply ignoring them.
“Don’t ignore it, report it,” Transurban group executive customer and technology Simon Moorfield told 9News.
“It allows us to get that information to the telcos to get those scam messages blocked.”
Transurban’s research found that 57 per cent of people who received the SMS deleted it, while just nine per cent reported it to Linkt.
But now, those who choose to report the message rather than dismiss it could win an electric Hyundai or a $50 gift card.
According to the ACCC, the federal government’s Scamwatch received more than 14,500 reports of road toll scams last year, with losses totalling $664,000.
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KPMG partner Stuart Mort said the concept behind the scam texts was “very simple.
“They can be threatening in nature, so people read them and panic,” he said.
The text message to look out for that could trick almost anyone
Transurban says Linkt customers will never be asked to provide their payment details via a link sent in a text message.
Customers should always log directly onto their account using the website or the app.
People are also urged to look out for poor spelling and grammar, strange links, and threats, as signs of a scam.
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