Older Aussies warned on credit card security

Older credit card users have been urged to keep their details safe.

Gail Gago, consumer affairs minister, points towards reports from the Office for the Aging that the elderly and those from vulnerable backgrounds living in south Australia have recently been targeted by criminals who - by pretending to be from a representative of a bank - attempt to fraudulently obtain credit card information.

However, she reminds people that banks do not get in touch with their customers to verify their credit card details.

"The more we can raise awareness of the latest scams targeting consumers and the faster we can get that information out, the fewer victims we will see," she states, advising that anyone receiving any suspicious letters, telephone calls or visits should get in touch with the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (OCBA) as soon as possible.

Indeed, OCBA has revealed a recent rise in the number of scams as criminals attempt to use events such as the government's stimulus package and the bushfires in Victoria to illegally obtain credit card details.

Earlier this month, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned Aussie credit consumers to be aware of a phishing scam where criminals pretend to be from Centrelink or the Australian Taxation Office in an attempt to secure people's credit card details.