POLICE are advising mainly elderly residents that they should be wary of mobile phone apps claiming to be “duress alarms” which charge them money to call 000 on their behalf.
They say some “duress alarm” apps claim to link clients to a 24/7 call centre with a “live” connection to police and emergency services.
However, no app has a direct – or “live” – connection to Victoria Police or emergency services, police say.
The monitoring of duress alarms requires a security licence, the use of a certified monitoring centre and the approval of Victoria Police. “In an emergency always call 000,” police say.