WA man loses $15,000 in 'Centrelink' scam

An elderly West Australian man has lost more than $15,000 in a phone scam involving a caller posing as a Centrelink employee.

The 80-year-old victim, known only as Fred, was told he owed thousands of dollars to Sure Telecom and had to pay via Western Union to clear the debt or risk losing his pension.

Out of fear of losing his Centrelink payments, and believing he might actually owe some money, Fred transferred $2000 to the scammers. The money went to Bangkok.

Further calls from the man claiming to be Sean Lee from Centrelink in Melbourne persuaded Fred to send six more payments, totalling $15,586.

Consumer Protection spokeswoman Lanie Chopping said Centrelink never recovered money owed to telecommunications companies and did not accept payments by wire transfer.

"If you receive a call from Centrelink and have concerns, get the person's contact details and phone Centrelink using one of their advertised phone numbers to confirm whether it was truly them calling," she said.

Ms Chopping said it was common for scammers to make threats and create a sense of urgency so the victim did not have time to check the authenticity.

Vulnerable people, including seniors and those who speak English as a second language, are often targeted, she said.