- Scam
54801313 impersonation scam: Caller poses as RFB volunteer collecting donations under false names including 'Charles Madden'. Also linked to shipping container fraud.
Rural Fire Brigade Impersonation Reports for 54801313
A contributor has reported that 54801313 is being used to conduct a sophisticated impersonation scam targeting Australians through fraudulent Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) charity calls. The caller claims to be an unpaid volunteer collecting donations for the RFB, but operates under multiple aliases including 'Charles Madden'. According to the report, this individual operates from 54801313 with a documented history of collecting personal and financial details under false pretences.
The scammer behind 54801313 is also known to operate separate fraudulent schemes involving non-delivery of shipping containers. Once personal details are obtained through the initial RFB donation pitch, the contributor notes that victims become targets for additional scams and financial exploitation.
What Callers from 54801313 Claim
Calls from 54801313 come with a polished, professional approach. The caller presents himself as a well-spoken volunteer for the Rural Fire Brigade, claiming to be collecting much-needed funds on his own time for the organisation. The contributor describes the caller as a 'smooth' operator who uses sympathetic framing around RFB support to establish credibility.
The person operating 54801313 uses multiple names to operate different fraud schemes simultaneously, making it difficult to track his activities across various scams. The same individual involved in 54801313 operates fraudulent shipping container business schemes, suggesting a broader pattern of systematic fraud rather than isolated activity.
How the Scam Operates
The scammer operating 54801313 uses a two-stage approach. First, the RFB charity call extracts personal details under the guise of processing a donation. Once these details are captured, victims may then be targeted for secondary scams including the shipping container scheme.
A key warning from the contributor is that the caller will refuse to provide a return phone number or direct contact method, instead insisting victims stay on the line or call back a number provided by 54801313. This prevents verification and traps people in conversation with the fraudster.
What to Do If You Receive a Call from 54801313
If 54801313 calls you claiming to represent the Rural Fire Brigade:
- Do not: Answer questions about yourself, confirm your name or address, agree to any donation, or provide banking details
- Do: Hang up immediately and independently verify by calling the Queensland Rural Fire Service's official main inquiry number
- Always ask: For a direct callback number and organisation details, then verify independently before engaging further
- Never use: Any contact number provided by the caller from 54801313 - look up the official RFB number yourself
- Block: 54801313 in your phone settings to prevent future contact
The contributor emphasises that legitimate RFB donation campaigns do not cold-call unsuspecting members of the public requesting personal details. If the Rural Fire Brigade needs to contact you about a legitimate matter, you should always initiate contact by calling their official number.
Report This Number and Scammer
If you have been contacted by or provided details to 54801313, take immediate action:
- Report to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) at acma.gov.au
- Lodge a report with Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au with full details of what occurred
- Report to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au if financial or banking details were compromised
- Contact Queensland Police directly if you have been defrauded
- Report the scammer's social media accounts and business fronts to Facebook and relevant platforms - the contributor notes the scammer maintains active Facebook presence promoting shipping container fraud
- Share your experience on Reverseau to warn other Australians about 54801313
The contributor emphasises that multiple victims are seeking to identify and report this individual across different fraud schemes, suggesting coordinated community reporting may assist authorities in taking action.
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WRITE A REVIEWRatings Distribution
What Our Users Reviewed
There is a scammer pretending to be a volunteer for the RFB who calls and states he is collecting badly needed funds and does all this in his own time.
He is also full of shite.
He is known by various names and one of them is Charles Madden. A smooth well spoken snake oil merchant. Once he has your details, he will scam you. He also has a business involving scam shipping containers. I found out recently he is operating under several names.
DO NOT ENGAGE ANY CALL FROM 07 54801313. Ring the main Rural Fire Brigade and they will tell you they do not know of any authorised cold calls from RFB seeking donations.
Please checkout Facebook where this asshole not only scams money from the unsuspecting for non delivered shipping containers, and now pretends to be a concerned volunteer doing all this wonderful work for the RFB, all under a different name.
He is such an asshole, I hope to meet him down a dark Alley.. In fact quite a few people like me who have been scammed by him are wanting to find him.
BE WARY AND:
1: ALWAYS ASK FOR A RETURN NUMBER SO YOU CAN CALL HIM DIRECT.
2: CALL THE RFB'S MAIN QUERY NUMBER YOURSRLF AND CONFIRM.
3: DO NOT GIVE HIM OR ANYONE YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS OVER THE PHONE.
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WRITE A REVIEWFrequently Asked Questions
Is 54801313 a legitimate Rural Fire Brigade contact number?
No. A contributor has confirmed that 54801313 is not an authorised RFB number. The Rural Fire Brigade does not conduct cold-calling campaigns for donations. If you are unsure, hang up and call the Queensland Rural Fire Service's official main inquiry number to verify. Never use any callback number provided by 54801313.
Who is operating 54801313 and what is his real identity?
According to the contributor report, the scammer operating 54801313 uses multiple aliases including 'Charles Madden' and operates several different fraud schemes simultaneously. He is described as a smooth, well-spoken operator. The contributor notes that multiple victims of 54801313 and related scams are attempting to identify him. Information should be reported to Queensland Police and ACMA.
What should I do if I already gave my details to 54801313?
If you provided personal details to 54801313, contact your bank immediately to monitor for fraudulent activity. Report the incident to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au), ACMA (acma.gov.au), and Queensland Police. The contributor warns that once details are captured from 54801313, victims may be targeted for secondary scams including shipping container fraud schemes.
Does 54801313 have legitimate business operations?
No. The contributor reports that 54801313 is operated by someone running multiple fraud schemes, not legitimate businesses. While the caller claims to be an RFB volunteer, the same individual uses 54801313 to operate a shipping container fraud scheme. All operations associated with 54801313 are fraudulent.
What should I ask if 54801313 calls claiming to be from the RFB?
The contributor specifically recommends: (1) Ask for a direct return phone number so you can call them back independently, (2) Do not accept any number provided by 54801313 - instead look up the official RFB contact yourself, (3) Call the main Rural Fire Brigade query number directly to confirm whether they authorise cold calls. Legitimate RFB staff will not object to verification calls.
Are there other scams connected to 54801313?
Yes. The contributor warns that the person operating 54801313 also runs shipping container fraud schemes and uses multiple names to operate different frauds. Once someone provides details to 54801313 for the fake RFB donation, they may become targets for the shipping container scam and other fraudulent schemes. This suggests a coordinated operation rather than isolated activity.