Don’t act straight away. Stop and think about what you’re being asked to do.
Real companies or government agencies won’t pressure you to make payments.
Have a quick look on Google to see if the company or person is real and whether it's the right phone number.
Check to see if anyone else has had similar experiences.
If something feels wrong, act quickly.
Contact your bank immediately if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information.
Phishing is the most common cyber-attack used today. They can be sent to you via email, text message, and sometimes via social media from what can appear to be a reputable source. Phishing attacks are used to trick the recipient into revealing sensitive information or data in order to steal from you.
Remember to STOP, CHECK and PROTECT. Ask a friend of family member when you receive such messages. If something feels wrong, contact your bank if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help and report the scam to Scamwatch. Learn more about protecting yourself from specific scams below.
Often taking place on dating apps and social media, they can happen at any age and to anyone looking for love.
These scams are run by fraudsters who fake romantic interests in people.
Scam phone calls include calls where scammers will impersonate Bank First or a well-known company.
They may gain your trust and pressure you to provide passwords, codes or personal information over the phone.
Scammers can create fake websites that look almost identical to a reputable organisation that you deal with.
These websites are also designed to steal your personal information.
Check the website URL is legitimate. Never click any links.
Investment scams usually occur when someone pretends to be a financial advisor or similar.
A popular investment scam is where scammers try to get people to invest in cryptocurrency.
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
As online shopping increases, scammers try to take advantage of those who shop online.
These can be anywhere on the internet but are especially found on online marketplaces, social media, classified sites and more.
Phone porting is when a cybercriminal transfers (ports) your mobile number from one provider to a different provider, or to a different SIM on a device they control.
This gives them access to your security codes, including those from Bank First, so they can authorise transactions or change account details without your knowledge.
Remote access scams happen when scammers contact you by phone, email or text claiming to be from a familiar company. They may ask you to give access to your computer or device by downloading an app or say they need to remove a virus or malware from your computer.
Never download software or apps you don't know or give information like SMS One Time Passwords or codes.
Scam text messages or emails will sometimes look like they come from a reputable source.
Many scams now look almost identical to communication from a real organisation. Scammers can even disguise their contact details as the real organisation's.
Never click any links. Always contact the organisation using details on its official website or app before taking any action.
For further information about Internet and Email Security, visit the following websites:
Australian Government Initiative https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au
Australian Securities and Investment Commission https://www.moneysmart.gov.au
Little Black Book of Scams Online http://www.scamwatch.gov.au
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission http://www.accc.gov.au or call 1300 302 502.
We have become aware that there has been a cyber-attack at another financial institution which has resulted in the disclosure of PayID details of other banks’ customers.
The attackers will not be able to access bank accounts since no passwords or credentials are available from the PayID database.
Please be aware that SMS phishing attempts using hacked data could occur – for example, you may receive a personalised message from the attackers which looks like a legitimate message from us or another bank, in an attempt to acquire your banking credentials and password. You should be cautious of any unusual SMS activity and never click on a link in a random message.
Please call us on 1300 654 822 if you receive a suspicious SMS message.
