In a saddening sign of the times, law enforcement authorities are urging elder generations to ditch their manners when it comes to phone calls, in an effort to counter the spike in phone scams.   

The CrimeStoppers campaign ‘Just Hang Up’ comes as $66.8 million in losses were reported to Scamwatch between January and October, a 104 per cent increase from last year.   

CrimeStoppers CEO Peter Price says that people aged 50 and over have become more vulnerable to phone scams, and it’s their phone etiquette that could be holding them back.  

“That generation isn’t used to hanging up the phone because it’s seen as incredibly rude, but in this instance, we’re actually telling people to please hang up the phone on unknown people,” said Mr Price.  

“It’s quite a shift in behaviour, but it’s definitely worth it because it’ll save time and it will definitely save money,” Mr Price said.   

The harsh but necessary reaction doesn’t come without its downfalls.  

“For some businesses that are legitimate who undertake direct telemarketing, they probably get the short end of the stick. People don’t know when they get a call from a telemarketing company whether its genuine or not,” Mr Price said.  

Distinguishing authentic from fake has become increasingly difficult as technology continues to advance, with less and less signs to look for.  

According to CrimeStoppers, the obvious giveaway of a scammer should be anyone asking for bank account details or access to someone’s computer, perhaps under the guise of fixing it or assisting with a program.   

Orana Mid-Western Officer Inspector Jacob Cantwell says that if you realise you’ve been scammed, it’s not always the end of the line for victims.  

“If they realise it’s not legitimate in time, people can contact the bank straight away and try to get that money refunded or blocked before it leaves,” said Inspector Cantwell.   

In addition, not-for-profit ID Care can help if you have given away personal information.  

Both in Australia and worldwide, phone and internet scams continue to rise with few protections for citizens. At some stage, government intervention will become necessary.   

“There are ongoing discussions within government about what to do about this, but the situation is a bit out of control at the moment. Some rules will have to be made and enforced at some stage,” Mr Price said.   

Until then, locals are urged to just hang up.