Warning: ‘Emergency’ scam text targets Aussies

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Did you receive an anxious text from an unknown contact over the weekend?

You’re not alone, and the Australian consumer watchdog is warning it’s a scam.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has sounded the alarm over “emergency” text messages pleading members of the public for assistance.

The messages are from unknown Australian numbers, and often read a variation of this message: “Please call me back right away. It is an Emergency [sic] I need your help!”

“People who have called the number back report being verbally abused by a recording on the other end,” the ACCC’s Scamwatch said this morning.

“This is a new and emerging issue. While people have not yet reported losing money as a result of these calls, you may find the content of the recording distressing.”

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