Phone Scammers Are Now Issuing Fake Arrest Warrants

The ACCC’s getting a number of complaints of a scam that targets people via the phone, claiming that there’s an arrest warrant in their name.

Arrest picture from Shutterstock

As per the ACCC’s ScamWatch, calls claim to be from the Canberra Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP), stating that the person called must contact “the office on 02 6100 3027 in relation to a tax fraud warrant.”

There’s no such warrant, and the CDPP media release notes that “the calls are not from a member of the CDPP’s office and the number ‘02 6100 3027’ is not associated with the CDPP.”

The ACCC’s breakdown of how the scam operates runs like many classic scams:

You receive a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions or the Australian Taxation Office.
The call may sound like it is an automated message with an American accent.
The caller or sender will claim that you have an arrest warrant for some reason.
The scammer will ask you to telephone a number that appears to be Australian but is likely to be a VOIP number.
The number reported is 02 6100 3027. This is not the correct number for the CDPP.
The scammer will tell you that in order to resolve the matter you will need to pay a fee.
You may also be asked to provide your bank account details or other personal information so they can confirm they have the right person.
If you send any money via wire transfer, you will never see it again – it’s nearly impossible to recover money sent this way. You will also never receive the promised rebate or refund.
If you provide your bank account details or other personal information, the scammer may use it to commit identity theft or to steal your money.

The CDPP is advising people to be vigilant when receiving phone calls of this nature and if in doubt about the authenticity of a call that you receive from the CDPP, contact them on one of the publically listed phone numbers or email [email protected].

As always, these scams only need to hit a small number of people to be profitable, so being forewarned and sensible about these kinds of scare tactics is highly advisable.

Alert: Hoax CDPP phone calls [CDPP]


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