Scams cost users
TELEPHONE scams are running rampant in the Rose City and beyond with hoaxers in all shapes and forms targeting residents.
Following yesterday’s story on scammers phoning a home phone, pretending to be from Centrelink and offering money, Colleen Zambelli contacted the Daily News to share her story.
At 4am in the morning she received an SMS saying, “congratulation, your mobile number has won for you $2,000,000 USD”.
The message told her to send an email to an address to claim her prize.
Ms Zambelli texted “STOP” back to the number, which is supposed to stop them for messaging again.
She received no further SMS, but on her phone bill there was a charge of $31, which she was charged when she received the initial text.
Telstra said the message was from a UK number and it couldn’t reimburse her but she could try calling the number and asking for a cheque to reimburse her.
“Who knows how much they would charge me for that,” she said.
Even though she did try the number, it was disconnected.
“I just wanted to make others aware of the type of scams that are out there — some of them are impossible to avoid.”
