Australian Federal Police Scam
Scam Alert: Fake “Australian Federal Police Cyber Crime Unit” Calls Requesting OTP Codes
A new phone scam is targeting Australians where callers impersonate the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Cyber Crime Unit in an attempt to obtain one-time passcodes (OTP) from victims.
The call can sound very convincing. The caller may already know your name, phone number, and email address, and they often speak fluent English with a British accent, which can make them sound more professional than typical scam callers.
How the Scam Works
The caller claims they are from the Cyber Crime Unit of the Australian Federal Police and say they are investigating a person who has recently been arrested for cybercrime.
They may tell you that during the investigation, your personal details were found in the suspect’s database, and they are contacting you to check whether your identity may have been compromised.
After building trust during the conversation, the caller will eventually ask you to verify your identity using a one-time passcode (OTP). In some cases, you may even receive a real OTP message from a legitimate website.
They will then ask you to read the code back to them.
This is the key step of the scam. Providing the OTP can allow scammers to create accounts, access services, or authorise actions using your identity.
Important Reminder
The Australian Federal Police or any government agency will never call you and ask for an OTP, password, or verification code.
If someone requests this information during an unexpected phone call, it should be treated as a scam.
What You Should Do
If you receive this type of call:
- Do not share any OTP or verification codes
- Hang up immediately
- Report the incident to Scamwatch
Even if the caller knows your personal details and speaks professionally, it does not mean the call is legitimate. Always treat requests for verification codes with extreme caution.