Police Phone Scam South Australia Spoofed Calls

• Caller ID Spoofing: Scammers use technology so your phone identifies the caller as an official SA Police Station. If you call the number back, the genuine police will have no record of the call because the scammers never used that actual line.
• Urgency and Threats: Callers often use high-pressure tactics, intimidation, or threats of arrest to force compliance.
• Financial Demands: Scammers frequently ask for money transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.

What the Police Will NEVER Do

• SAPOL will never call you out of the blue to accuse you of a crime or demand money.
• Police will never ask you to transfer funds, withdraw cash, or download external applications on your phone or computer.
• Officers will never ask for your PIN, bank details, or one-time passwords over the phone.

How to Protect Yourself

• Hang Up: If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately. Do not trust caller ID alone.
• Verify: If you believe the call may be legitimate, find the police station's phone number independently—do not use the number the caller gave you or the one that showed on your screen.
• Protect Personal Data: Never give out personal or financial information to an unsolicited caller.

Where to Report a Scam

• If you have lost money or provided sensitive banking details, contact your bank immediately.
• Report the incident to the Australian Cyber Security Centre via the ReportCyber Portal.
• Report non-loss scams or general scam attempts to the ACCC via Scamwatch.
• For further details, visit the official SAPOL Scams and Cybercrime Page.