Indian Consulate in Melbourne issues alert after emergency number 'compromised', around 60 people receive 'scam calls'
The Indian Consulate in Melbourne has issued an urgent warning after its emergency contact number was 'spoofed' and used in a visa scam targeting members of the Indian-Australian community. An official from the Consulate General of India in Melbourne told SBS Punjabi, on condition of anonymity, that "someone spoofed the number".
"The compromised number, typically used for emergency situations after business hours, especially for urgent visa requests during family emergencies was reportedly misused by unknown individuals to make fraudulent calls."
Indian Consulate in Melbourne's phone number 'compromised', officials urge Indian diaspora to refer only to official sources and not to use the old number anymore. Credit: CGI
The official also confirmed that the miscreants made calls from the number with the"purpose of making money" and made "irrelevant claims".
"We received several complaints from members of the community saying they were contacted by someone pretending to be from the consulate, asking for sensitive information," the official told SBS Punjabi.
"The counsellor was contacted by nearly 50 to 60 people raising such concerns." The consulate has confirmed that these calls were not made by them and has warned the public not to share personal details or transfer money to anyone contacting them via the old emergency number. "Now, the compromised number has been changed and a new emergency has been published on the CGI Melbourne website and shared via official social media platforms" the official said. Community members are urged to refer to official sources for the updated number and stay vigilant against scams.
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