Scammers target WA migrants

Scammers have demanded $599 from a migrant family in Western Australia to keep their name on Fremantle's Welcome Walls.

The Welcome Walls pay tribute to migrants who arrived in WA by sea, with names listed on 400 panels outside the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle and outside the WA Museum site in Albany.

Despite two phone calls from two different people, the family refused to pay and reported the matter to the museum and police.

WA Museum acting chief executive Diana Jones said she was appalled anyone would extort money in this way.

"I want to assure everyone whose names are listed on our Welcome Walls that their recognition is safe and there is absolutely no intention to charge a fee for those names to remain," she said.

"We are concerned that those who are potential targets may be seniors in our community or come from migrant families where English might not be their first language."

Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection Gary Newcombe said scammers often looked for something that had some emotional attachment, hoping victims might act hastily before taking time to check if the demand for money was legitimate.