02 8271 9967 - 0282719967: Immigration Impersonation and Silent Call

• Scam

One contributor reported 02 8271 9967 (0282719967) claiming to be from the immigration department before going silent. Suspicious NSW number.

Immigration Impersonation Reports for 02 8271 9967

A contributor has reported receiving a call from 02 8271 9967 (also written as 0282719967) where the caller claimed affiliation with the immigration department. The call is notable for combining impersonation with suspicious silence, a tactic sometimes used to identify active phone numbers or to unsettle recipients into divulging information.

The NSW-based number 02 8271 9967 is allocated to Optus Networks, a major Australian telecommunications provider. This allocation does not guarantee legitimacy, as scammers regularly use spoofed numbers or compromised accounts to make fraudulent calls.

What Happened During the Call from 02 8271 9967

The contributor answered the call from 0282719967 when the caller claimed to represent the immigration department. After making this claim, the caller went silent rather than proceeding with a conversation or making specific demands. This pattern of impersonation followed by silence is commonly associated with scam testing, where callers verify whether a number is active and monitored before escalating contact or selling the number to other scammers.

Why This Combination Matters

Immigration-themed impersonation carries particular risk in Australia because legitimate Department of Home Affairs communications are often formal and sensitive, making false claims credible to some recipients. The sudden silence after the impersonation claim suggests the caller may have been:

• Testing whether the number would engage with authority figures
• Determining if the recipient might be vulnerable to immigration-related pressure tactics
• Conducting callback verification for a scam network

What to Do If You Receive a Call from 02 8271 9967

If 02 8271 9967 calls you:

• Do not: Confirm your identity, answer verification questions, or provide personal details like passport number, visa status, or address
• Do not: Return the call if it disconnects, as this may trigger callback scams
• Do: Let unknown calls go to voicemail, particularly those claiming government affiliation
• Do: Hang up immediately if the caller goes silent or hesitates after identifying themselves
• Do: Verify any immigration-related communication independently by calling the Department of Home Affairs directly on their official number found at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
• Do: Block 02 8271 9967 if the call repeats

How to Report 02 8271 9967

If you receive a call from 0282719967 claiming to be from the immigration department or any government agency:

• Report to the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) at acma.gov.au - they investigate phone-based fraud and impersonation
• Report to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, which publishes warnings and tracks emerging scam patterns
• Contact the Department of Home Affairs directly at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au to confirm whether they initiated any contact
• Share your experience on Reverseau to help other Australians identify the same number

Silent Calls and Callback Scam Risk

Silent calls from numbers like 02 8271 9967 sometimes precede callback scams, where callers rely on recipients returning the missed call to premium or international numbers. Even if 0282719967 appears to be a local NSW number, the silence itself is a red flag that suggests the caller had no legitimate purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions