By sharing information that can lead to action on scams that are currently taking place, Optus is collaborating with the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX) and participating financial institutions to reduce the number of Scam Calls and Scam SMS. Calls to phone numbers that have been reported as being used in a scam may be blocked as part of this.

When con artists send fraudulent SMS messages to unwitting recipients of a known scam number, the initiative will assist in stopping them in their tracks.

Call Stop targets callback scams, which ask victims to call back their bank on the provided number after they receive an email or SMS claiming problems with their bank account (often that unauthorised payments were made with their account or that someone else had accessed it).

Customers who call the number get a scammer posing as their bank. The victim is subsequently duped into giving access to their account or transferring money to a scammer's account.

When an Optus customer calls a known scam number, Call Stop routes the call to an automated message that alerts the customer to the scam rather than the fraudster.

The call will be forwarded by Call Stop to a voicemail that says: "The number you have called has been identified as being used for scam activities. For additional details

After that, the call will be blocked, protecting the customer from fraud while making it crystal clear that the warning or threat was a hoax and that no further action was required.

In collaboration with the financial sector, the Call Stop programme has compiled a list of scam phone numbers that have been reported by banks and their clients.

According to Andrew Sheridan, vice president of regulatory and public affairs at Optus, "We are constantly updating our technology and looking for new ways to combat scams across the country.

"Call Stop is our newest tool in this war and protects customers when they have been duped into calling a phoney number," the company stated. The scam is very clearly revealed in the automated message, and the number is then blocked.

Since December 2020, Optus has blocked 320 million scam calls and nearly 80 million SMS scam messages using a number of initiatives. Optus is vigilant in this area. Nearly five million calls and ten million SMS are currently being blocked by Optus each month.

"Call and Text scams are the cause of significant financial loss and emotional distress to many Australians," said David Pegley, managing director of ACFCX. In 2023, these scams will become more prevalent, and criminals will employ trickery that is getting more and more sophisticated.

"Our partnership with Optus uses cutting-edge technology, with the help of our banking members, to better protect consumers who are the targets of scammers. It is hoped that programmes like Call Stop will slow the spread of this scamming strategy” David Pegley said.

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