CANBERRA residents are being warned of unsolicited telephone calls, emails or door?to?door traders who offer deals which involve handing over money on the spot or obtaining personal details.

The warning follows reports from residents receiving such phone calls from people claiming to be from Fair Trading Canberra or ACT Consumer Affairs.

During the phone calls, consumers were advised that a financial institution had been investigated by Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs and as a result of an investigation the consumer was entitled to receive a refund of over $4000. The consumers were then asked to pay $100 for a voucher and a cheque would then be provided to them.

ACT commissioner for Fair Trading, Brett Phillips said while details of each call may vary slightly, the fact of the matter is that the Office of Regulatory Services – Fair Trading Unit does not contact consumers out of the blue and does not charge people money to receive a refund they are allegedly entitled to.

“Unfortunately, this particular scam has circulated a number of times before, most recently in 2011, where callers claimed to be from the Ministry of Justice and advised a consumer he was entitled to a $1000 cheque if he paid the caller $150,” Mr Phillips said.

“Today I am reminding the community that calls, emails or visits of this nature are not legitimate.

“If you receive unsolicited contact via telephone, email or someone knocking at your door, don’t be afraid to follow up with the organisation they claim to work for to verify who they are and why they have contacted you.

“Always be wary if they want you to hand over money on the spot or are after your personal particulars details.

“As a golden rule, do not hand over money or divulge personal details to strangers, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

If you have been contacted by an organisation who asks you to send money in order to receive money, call the ACT Office of Regulatory Services on 6207 3000.

More information at www.scamwatch.gov.au