The consequences of a remote access scam can be fast and costly

Remote access scams occur when scammers masquerade as employees from well-known organisations with a convincing story, to trick you into giving them access to your computer or device. It’s how Vicky Smith was scammed out of $18,800.  

In the latest episode of the podcast Anatomy of a Scam, she explains how she received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Amazon’s tech support team, who instructed her to download a fake Amazon app to prevent potential fraudulent activity.

“When I downloaded the app, it actually gave them remote access my phone,” she tells host Deborah Knight. “And that’s how they got into my phone and they got into my bank accounts.”

The money was gone in less than an hour.

Because they trick victims into taking urgent action, remote access scams can be incredibly effective. They’re increasing in volume and, according to James Roberts, General Manager of Group Fraud at CommBank, they’re also becoming harder to spot.

“We’re finding that the sophistication of the scams are increasing too,” he says. “We’re seeing a lot of use of technology to scam people.”

Like other types of scams, with an increase in both volume and sophistication of remote scams, education is key .

“Knowing what to look for, and then what to do, makes all the difference” shares Deborah Knight.

Listen to Anatomy of a Scam on your preferred podcast app to find out more about Vicky’s story, and to find out more about how we’re protecting your accounts, visit: commbank.com.au/safe

Go to CBA Newsroom for the latest news and announcements from Commonwealth Bank.