Police and the NSW Office of State Revenue are urging Hunter residents not to fall victim to a scam SMS text message that falsely claims the receiver has been fined.
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The text message claims to be from the State Debt Recovery Office and asks the receiver to click on a link to view their penalty.
While the Office of State Revenue sends reminder messages for overdue fines, the link from official messages takes the receiver to the official OSR website, unlike the scam text message.
"If you are unsure of the legitimacy of any message you’ve received visit the OSR website or call OSR on 1300 138 118 or Service NSW on 13 77 88,” Commissioner of Fine Administration Stephen Brady said.
Several customers have reported the scam to OSR as coming from this number +45609910233.
NSW Police Fraud and Cybercrime Squad acting commander Detective Chief Inspector David Christey said the scam’s text messages and website looked authentic, which had led to a lot of people being stung.
“We are seeing scams such as this one become more complex in their nature and, thus, look and sound more legitimate to the public,” he said.
“If unsure about a message, do not click on the link. Instead, contact police immediately.
“We also stress that personal information, from your birth date and address to your banking details, are incredibly valuable to criminals who can use that information to access your financial accounts or set up fake identities which are then used to commit other crimes.”
