Alert: Bank impersonation phone calls
4 min readReviewed October 2026 · Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team
In short
- Caller ID can be faked — “it showed my bank’s name” means nothing.
- Real banks never ask you to move money to a “safe account”. Ever.
- Hang up. Call the number on the back of your card. That’s the whole defence.
The script is sophisticated: a caller claiming to be from your bank’s fraud team warns of “suspicious transactions”, often knowing your name and some details (from data breaches). Caller ID shows the bank’s real name — spoofing makes that trivial. Then the kill move: to “protect your money”, you must transfer it to a safe account, or read out the codes the bank texts you.
There is no such thing as a safe account
No Australian bank will ever ask you to transfer money to protect it, ask for your full password or PIN, ask you to read out one-time codes, or send a courier for your card. Any caller who does is a criminal — even if the caller ID says your bank’s name, even if they know your details, even if they sound exactly like your bank.
Variations currently circulating
- “We’ve frozen a suspicious transaction — press 1 to speak to fraud team” (voicemail robocall).
- “Your PayID is being registered to a new device — did you authorise this?”
- Text first, call second: a fake fraud-alert text primes you, then the “bank” calls about it.
- The long con: the caller “helps you secure your computer” by installing remote-access software — now they can see your banking themselves.
What to do
- Hang up. You are allowed to hang up on anyone, including “your bank”.
- Call back on the number printed on your card or in the official app — if there’s a real fraud issue, the real team will see it on your account.
- Never install software at a caller’s request.
- Moved money or shared codes? Call your bank immediately — minutes matter for recalls — then report to Scamwatch and ReportCyber.
Common questions
Where to report this
Report to ReportCyber
Cybercrime: identity theft, online fraud, hacked accounts or devices, ransomware and online threats.
Go to ReportCyber (leaves our site — official service)Report to Scamwatch
All types of scams — phishing, investment, romance, shopping, impersonation. Reports help track and disrupt scam activity.
Go to Scamwatch (leaves our site — official service)Official sources for this guide
Reviewed October 2026 by Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team. Internet Safety Australia is independent and not a government website.