- Scam
Community reports for 02 8016 0746 (0280160746) describe impersonation scams using urgency tactics to extort money by contacting friends and family.
Impersonation and Urgency Scam Reports for 02 8016 0746
Three contributors have flagged 02 8016 0746 (also written as 0280160746) for suspicious activity, including a confirmed impersonation scam. The most serious report involves a caller who impersonated the contributor to their friend, creating a false emergency to pressure money extraction. This tactic combines impersonation with artificial urgency to manipulate victims into sending funds without verification.
The scam targeting 0280160746 demonstrates a social engineering approach rather than typical phishing or tech support fraud. The caller deliberately reached out to someone other than the intended victim, claiming to be the target person in distress and needing immediate financial help.
What Callers from 02 8016 0746 Do
According to the scam report about 02 8016 0746, the caller impersonates the actual person to their contacts, creating panic by describing an urgent situation requiring money. The contributor noted the scammer contacted a friend pretending to be them, then demanded payment for supposed help or resolution of a fabricated crisis.
The caller behaviour from 0280160746 shows persistence without engagement. One contributor reported that the number "never leaves a voicemail, just keeps calling," suggesting a pattern of repeated contact attempts designed to catch someone vulnerable or more likely to answer on the tenth attempt than the first.
Call Patterns and Timing
Reports about 02 8016 0746 span multiple months, with the impersonation scam documented in May and nuisance calling activity continuing into November. The number is registered to AAPT Limited, a local service provider in New South Wales, though this registration does not confirm legitimacy of the callers using it.
One contributor received a call from 0280160746 that they missed entirely, with no voicemail left. Another answered a call from 02 8016 0746 and documented the relentless calling pattern. The timing variation suggests either multiple callers using the same number or a manual dialling operation rather than automated robocalling.
What to Do If You Receive a Call from 02 8016 0746
If 02 8016 0746 calls you:
- Do not: Answer if you don't recognise the number, engage with urgency claims, or send money without independent verification
- Do not: Provide personal information, confirm details about friends or family, or respond to pressure tactics
- Do: Hang up immediately if the caller claims to be someone you know in distress
- Do: Verify any emergency claim by calling the person directly on a number you know is correct
- Do: Block 0280160746 if calls from 02 8016 0746 continue after you've ignored them
- Do: Report the number and describe what happened to authorities
How to Report 02 8016 0746
If you've received a scam call from 02 8016 0746 (0280160746), report it to Australian authorities and the community:
- Scamwatch: Report the impersonation scam at scamwatch.gov.au - provide details of what the caller claimed and how they tried to extort money
- ACMA: Lodge a complaint about the calling behaviour with the Australian Communications and Media Authority at acma.gov.au
- ReportCyber: If money was transferred or sensitive data disclosed, report to the Australian Cyber Security Centre at cyber.gov.au
- Reverseau: Contribute your own experience with 02 8016 0746 to help other Australians identify this number
Help others by sharing your experience with (02) 8016 0746!
WRITE A REVIEWRatings Distribution
What Our Users Reviewed
Never leave a voicemail, just keep calling
Didn't answer, no voicemail
complete scam. contacted my friend pretending to need urgent help from me, attempt to extort money
Help others by sharing your experience with (02) 8016 0746!
WRITE A REVIEWFrequently Asked Questions
What scam did the caller from 02 8016 0746 attempt?
One contributor reported that 0280160746 called their friend, impersonated the contributor, and claimed to need urgent financial help. This is an impersonation-based extortion scam where the caller poses as someone the victim knows to manipulate them into sending money without proper verification.
Does 02 8016 0746 leave voicemails?
No. A contributor who answered calls from 02 8016 0746 noted that the number "never leaves a voicemail, just keeps calling." This pattern of repeated calling without message-leaving suggests the callers are hoping to catch someone off-guard rather than establishing a legitimate reason for contact.
How should I verify a call claiming to be from someone I know?
If you receive an urgent call from 02 8016 0746 or any number claiming to be a friend or family member in distress, do not act on it immediately. Instead, hang up and call that person directly using a phone number you know is correct. Verify their actual situation before considering any financial requests.
Why would 0280160746 call someone other than the person being impersonated?
Social engineering scammers often contact friends or family rather than the target directly, because these contacts are more likely to respond with concern and take action quickly. The scammer exploits trust and emotional urgency to bypass the target's natural scepticism.
Should I answer calls from 02 8016 0746?
No. Given the confirmed impersonation scam and the persistent calling pattern reported for 0280160746, it is safer to let calls from 02 8016 0746 go to voicemail or block the number. If you do answer and the caller claims to be someone you know in an emergency, treat it as potentially fraudulent and verify independently.
Is 02 8016 0746 a legitimate business number?
The number is registered to AAPT Limited as a local service in NSW, but this registration does not mean the callers using 0280160746 are legitimate. Phone number registrations can be spoofed or misused. The confirmed impersonation scam and persistent calling pattern indicate the number is being used for fraud.