New Telstra scam claims your IP address is at risk

Remote access scams happen when you’re contacted by somebody pretending to be from a familiar company, like NBN or Telstra. They start by convincing you that you have an issue with your computer or your internet and need to give them remote access to your device in order to fix it. 

One particular remote access scam is targeting Telstra customers, leading them to believe their home network and IP address are no longer private. They’ll go on to say that with a public IP address, your personal information is at risk, and you should give them remote access to your device so they can rectify the issue. 

Telstra has advised its customers to immediately hang up if they receive a call like this and to not give them remote access, as this will give them free rein over any and all personal information. 

If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Telstra and you’re concerned about their identity, ask them to call back on an official number. If it's a scammer, they’ll try and keep you on the line, or simply hang up. 

To protect yourself from these calls, do not give any unsolicited caller remote access to any of your devices or details, and ensure all of your devices are up to date with the latest antivirus and anti-malware software.

Your IP address, or internet protocol address, is a valuable piece of information – it's used to identify every device that connects to the internet. If obtained by hackers, they can uncover your location, track every site you visit online, and even block you from accessing certain pages.

Having someone obtain your IP address can do a lot of damage, which is why your IP address should be hidden from the general public. To make your IP address private, we’d recommend using a VPN. They not only hide your IP address, but they encrypt all of the data related to your internet browsing sessions, so you browse knowing your information and device are safe from cybercriminals.