Optus has just revealed a new anti-scam system that’s being deployed to its phone network customers, one creatively named Call Stop.
Call Stop is an automated technology that will stop calls to scam numbers known by Optus. It’s a new initiative that’s being run in collaboration with Australia’s major banks and the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX).
Specifically, the new technology will be used to deter people from ‘call back’ scams. These are scams that take place when the victim receives an SMS or email indicating a problem with the target’s bank account. The victim is directed to call a number back (usually belonging to a scammer impersonating the victim’s bank) to resolve a false issue.
Optus’ new system gets in the way of the victim even calling the scammer. Now, when an Optus user calls the number back, a message will play for them: “The number you have called has been reported as being used for scam activities. For more information, please visit optus.com.au/CallStop”.
Keep in mind, however, it’s not a bullet-proof system. While it may thwart many scam attempts, the call-back phone number needs to be flagged first before Optus’ Call Stop initiative can step in. With this in mind, it’s certainly worthwhile flagging and reporting attempted scam numbers, which you can do through Scamwatch and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Since December 2020, Optus said it had blocked 320 million scam calls, and over the last year, blocked 80 million scam SMS messages. The telco claims it blocks nearly 10 million scam calls and eight million scam SMS messages per month.
“Call and text scams are the cause of significant financial loss and emotional distress to many Australians. These types of scams are on the rise in 2023, and criminals are using more and more sophisticated methods to catch people out,” AFCX managing director David Pegley said.
“It’s hoped that initiatives like Call Stop will curb the acceleration of this scamming technique.”
The rise of scam attempts in Australia is quite terrifying. The ‘hi Mum’ phone scam saw up to 1,150 victims in 2022 according to Scamwatch, and over the course of that year, the ACCC reported that scam victims lost $20,000 each on average. In the same year, Telstra deployed a similar scam-thwarting system on its network.
I’m hopeful that it will prevent less scam-savvy people from having their money stolen, and it’s good to see Optus trying to win some respect back from its customers.
The new system will be deployed this week.