YOUNG’S banks have been on high alert over the past week over a number of bank scams operating locally.
Even Federal Member for Hume, Alby Schultz, has asked people to be wary of phone calls or emails from people claiming to be from government agencies or local bank branches seeking money or account details.
Last week several local banks had received an influx of calls from customers and non-customers concerned about people - purporting to be representing local banks - requesting account details for refunds because their local bank had overcharged them in fees.
“It’s mainly phone calls with people telling them (customers) they have been overcharged in fees – and it’s been a ridiculous amount like $5000 or $6000,” a Commonwealth Bank spokesperson said.
“They’re telling them ‘if you give us your details, we can give you a refund’,” the spokesperson said.
The Commonwealth Bank is advising residents that every bank card starts with the same few numbers and scammers will recite those, tricking cardholders into believing they have some of their details and asking them to fill in the rest.
Local bank managers are advising locals what to look out for.
“Our members have been affected with the same scenario and we’re telling them to look out for a foreign accent,” South West Slopes Credit Union manager Steve Elsley said.
“We continually talk to our customers about fraud and have been advertising about it too to keep them alert,” he said.
Mr Elsley said it looks like it seems to be occurring in the Young, Cootamundra and Temora areas at the present time.
A local National Australia Bank representative said scams operate all the time.
They’re asking people to ignore phone calls from people asking for bank details and to report them to the police.
“They tend to call a lot – we wouldn’t call customers if we owed money, we contact them another way,” the NAB said.