- 1 Stop Don’t give money, codes or personal details if you’re not sure who you’re dealing with. Scammers rush you: take your time.
- 2 Check Could it be fake? Hang up or close the message, then contact the bank or agency on a number or app you find yourself.
- 3 Protect If something feels wrong, act fast: call your bank, then report it to Scamwatch, and to ReportCyber if it happened online.
The warning signs
Almost every scam has at least one of these:
- Pressure to act now: “your account is compromised”, “you’ll be arrested”, “the offer ends today”.
- A request to move money, or to pay by bank transfer, gift card or crypto.
- A request for a code, password or PIN. One-time codes are for you alone.
- Contact out of the blue, by text, call, email or social media, even if it looks official. Scammers can fake the number or name that shows on your phone, and their texts can appear in the same thread as real ones.
- Something too good to be true: guaranteed returns, a prize you didn’t enter, easy money.
- Being told to keep it secret from your family or your bank.
Common scams in Australia
| Scam | How it works |
|---|---|
| Bank impersonation | A call or text says your account is under attack, and you must move money to a “safe” account |
| ATO, myGov and Centrelink | A tax debt, refund or payment, with a threat or a link to a fake login page |
| Toll and delivery texts | A missed parcel or unpaid toll, with a link to a fake site |
| “Hi Mum” messages | A relative with a “new phone” needs money for an urgent bill |
| Investment and crypto | Ads or online contacts promise big returns, often with fake celebrity backing or a fake platform |
| Remote access | A caller from your “internet provider” asks you to install software so they can fix a problem |
| Super | An offer to release your super early or move it into a scheme with high returns |
| Romance | Someone you’ve never met in person needs money urgently |
| Jobs and “tasks” | Small payments at first, then you must pay to unlock more |
| Marketplace | You pay for goods by transfer and they never arrive |
Getting your super out early is only allowed in narrow cases, such as severe financial hardship, so an offer to release it for you is a scam, and illegal.
Protect yourself
- Turn on two-step verification for your bank, email and myGov.
- Never share one-time codes. Your bank will never ask for them.
- Call back on a number you’ve looked up yourself, such as the one on your card.
- Log in to myGov and the ATO directly, never through a link in a message.
- Before you invest, check the company holds a licence on ASIC’s professional register and isn’t on Moneysmart’s investor alert list.
If you’ve been scammed
- Contact your bank straight away. The sooner you report it, the better the chance of stopping the payment.
- Report it to Scamwatch, and to ReportCyber if it happened online.
- Change your passwords, starting with your email and bank.
- Contact IDCARE (1800 595 160) for free help if your personal details were stolen.
- If your bank won’t help, make a complaint to the bank, then to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which is free.
Watch for follow-up “recovery” scams: people who contact you offering to get your money back for a fee are often the same scammers. Being scammed isn’t something to be embarrassed about: scammers are professionals, and reporting it helps warn others. Our free money help page lists more support.