Rival telecommunication companies are working together to crack down on international phone scams plaguing the industry. TCF chief executive Geoff Thorn said telcos had shared information about scams for several years but the code would help telcos react more quickly to reports of fraud and block calls from numbers used by scammers. It also allowed for telcos to share information about potential scams with third parties - such as Netsafe - who could help prevent and block them. "We advise against giving access to personal information over the phone in these instances," said Thorn. "If people remember one thing, it should be this: Spark will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your personal information.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 21, 2018 22:18 UTC