SCAMwatch and Qantas are warning people about automated calls from scammers posing as Qantas staff claiming that they’ve won a credit towards their next holiday.
An ACCC spokesman explained that reports have been received from both consumers and businesses about these scam calls, where the recipient picks up the phone and hears a recorded message that claims to be from Qantas. The message will claim that because the person has recently booked a flight with Qantas, they have won a ‘travel prize’ or ‘credit points’ – typically $999 – towards their next holiday. The spokesman added that in order to redeem the credit, the person is directed to press ‘1’. At this point, the person is put directly through to a scammer, who will then state that in order to be eligible for the prize, the person has to ask a few questions first. The scammer may ask whether the person is aged over 30, whether they have a valid credit card, and finally ask for their credit card details so that the prize can be processed.
Qantas advises that their consultants will always call customers directly to discuss their bookings and do not use an automated phone system when contacting customers proactively.