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Scammers sending phising links offering compensation for Optus outage

Charmaine Manuel
November 10 2023 - 11:00am
Communications minister Michelle Rowland vented the nation's “frustration” to the press shortly after 11am, stressing it was vital for Optus to be “transparent and timely” in finding a solution.

Scamwatch has warned the public to be on the lookout for scammers using the Optus outage as a front to target unsuspecting customers.

"Hi there, we apologise for yesterday's network outage," the scam text reads.

"We are offering compensation for all customers impacted."

A scam text sent offering compensation for the Optus outage. Picture from Shutterstock/Scamwatch.
A scam text sent offering compensation for the Optus outage. Picture from Shutterstock/Scamwatch.

The text includes a link to a myoptus url.

On X, Scamwatch cautioned the public to ignore the text.

"This is not an official message from Optus, it's a #scam. Don't click the link. Ignore & delete."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Optus said it's aware of the phishing messages about the outage claiming to be from the company.

"To help address this and for your peace of mind, we will not be sending communications (email or SMS) about this outage with links," Optus said.

"If you have any concerns, message us anytime in My Optus app - which remains the easiest way to contact Optus, or call us on 133 937."

Scams are becoming more prevalent. So, how do you spot and avoid one?
Charmaine Manuel

Charmaine is a journalist at The Examiner. She's interested in social, political and environmental issues. Got a story? Get in touch at charmaine.manuel@austcommunitymedia.com.au