Platforms like eBay and Amazon are used for the scam and involve unsuspecting victims receiving calls out of the blue and being asked to download software to their phone or computers to fix hacking issues account.

This type of scam is nothing new, but scammers are moving away from the misrepresentation of telecom companies to major online shopping platforms.

Victims receive unsolicited phone calls, calling them informing them that their online shopping account has been hacked or that an illegal purchase has been made.

The caller then informs the victim that in order to resolve the issue, they will need to download an application on their phone or software on their computer.

Unfortunately, the downloaded software is a type of remote access tool, which provides the scammer with full access and control of the phone or computer.

This means that they will now have access to personal information, passwords and online accounts.

Once the crooks have control of the device, large sums of money are then transferred from the victim’s online bank accounts without their permission or knowledge.

South Australian Police advise people not to download any software or applications with which they are unfamiliar, and especially never under the direction of someone on the phone.

If you receive a call and you can’t be sure who you are talking to, hang up the phone and contact the organization using a known and trusted number or another contact method, such as a their website email address.