Scam calls are out of control, and this new feature could be your shield

In today’s digital age, Australians are facing an unprecedented wave of scam calls that not only disrupt daily life but also pose a significant threat to personal and financial security. In 2024 alone, the nation was hit with a staggering $141 million in losses due to these nefarious activities. But there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon for millions of Australians, as one of the country’s major telecommunications companies, Telstra, steps up to combat this crisis with a groundbreaking new feature.

Telstra Scam Protect, the latest innovation in the fight against fraud, has been designed to empower phone users with the ability to discern between legitimate calls and potential scams. Since its rollout in December last year, this feature has already flagged over 10 million calls with a warning message, providing real-time alerts directly on the device screen.

Thomas Beach, Telstra’s consumer executive, explains, ‘The new in-house solution alerts our customers to suspicious or unverified calls by displaying a message in real time, directly from their device screen.’ This initiative is a response to national research conducted by Telstra in September 2024, which revealed that 42% of Australians are hesitant to answer calls due to concerns about being scammed.

The research further highlighted that 47% of Australian women are less likely to answer unknown calls on their mobiles compared to 36% of men. When it comes to generational caution, Gen X leads the pack with a 45% hesitancy rate, followed closely by Baby Boomers at 42%, Millennials at 41%, and Gen Z at 39%. 

A state-by-state breakdown showed that Queenslanders are the most cautious, with 47% hesitant to answer unknown calls. They are followed by Victorians and South Australians at 42%, Western Australians at 38%, and New South Wales residents at 37%.

ScamWatch reports that one in three scams in Australia occur via phone, with scammers often posing as representatives from government agencies, law enforcement, investment firms, utility companies, banks, or telecommunication providers. The most common types of phone scams involve impersonation or threats and extortion.

The Targeting Scams Report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that phone scams accounted for the highest overall losses last year, with $107.2 million reported lost by 2179 individuals. Despite Telstra blocking an average of 11 million scam calls each month, cybercriminals continue to adapt their techniques to evade detection.

Telstra Scam Protect will display one of three messages to alert users:

1. Warning: Potential fraud—for calls that may be fraudulent, such as those from spoofed numbers or with suspicious calling patterns. 
2. Warning: Suspicious calling pattern—for calls with a high volume of incoming traffic from a single number, often associated with potential spam.
3. Unverified: Overseas call—for calls that appear to be from a local mobile number but are detected as coming from overseas and are potentially suspicious.
   

This feature is integrated directly into Telstra’s network and is available to all Telstra retail and wholesale services at no extra cost, with no need for customers to activate it.

In the event of a suspected scam call, Telstra advises users to hang up if they are unsure of the caller’s identity. Verify the caller’s claims by contacting the organisation they purport to represent using official contact details. Avoid calling back unrecognised numbers, especially those beginning with ‘190’ or international numbers, as they can incur hefty charges.

If you receive a suspicious SMS, delete it immediately without replying. Stay informed about active scams through Telstra’s Cyber Security team updates. In case you believe you’ve been scammed, contact your bank or card provider immediately to halt any transactions, change your passwords, and seek assistance from IDCARE, Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service.

Finally, report the scam to ScamWatch and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) through ReportCyber to help authorities crack down on these criminals and protect others from falling victim.

Staying informed about scam prevention measures is crucial in today’s digital world. With initiatives like Telstra Scam Protect, Australians have another layer of security against fraudulent calls. While no system is foolproof, awareness and vigilance remain key in safeguarding personal information.

Have you ever received a suspicious call? What steps do you take to stay safe from scams? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Also read: Tropical cyclone aftermath: How scammers are profiting off tragedy