Sydney, 21 June, 2007: The Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) is warning of a scam in which criminals are attempting to obtain consumers’ personal information via telephone.

The criminals claim they are from a company which has chosen the consumer to be provided with a credit card with a pre-approved line of credit. The consumer is told the credit card will be sent to him or her via mail if the following information is provided: name; residential address; drivers licence; date of birth; and annual income.

David Bell, Chief Executive of the ABA, said it is very important that you do not provide personal details over the telephone unless you know you are speaking to a trusted business.

“These scam phone calls sound like they are they are coming from a legitimate company and are used to trick consumers into submitting personal, financial or password data. These criminals are asking for information which can later be used to commit fraud,” Mr Bell said.

If you have responded to this scam, please contact your bank immediately so they can take action to protect your account.

Tips on how to spot and avoid telephone scams:

For further information:
Heather Wellard
Director, Public Relations
Phone: 02 8298 0411
Mobile: 0409 830 439