Hoax Txt Message Affects Police Comms Centres
Scoop News: - Police communication centres throughout New Zealand are being affected by a hoax txt scam circulating among Vodafone
customers. The hoax txt message asks people to forward the txt on to 13 other people, and suggests if they do so they
will receive $20 worth of free Vodafone air time. They are told that if they do not receive the $20 credit they should
phone *555.
The *555 number is a direct line to the Police Communication Centres intended for reporting traffic incidents.
Police have said the centres are receiving large numbers of calls on the *555 number from people complaining that they
have not received their $20. The calls are tying up the police communicators and preventing genuine calls for police
assistance being answered promptly.
Police have asked media outlets to publicise the scam and inform the public it is a hoax. There is no free air time, and
the spurious calls to *555 are reducing the ability of the police to respond to genuine calls promptly.
ENDS