Do you know who you are speaking to?

Impersonation scams often target unsuspecting individuals through deceptive practices. These scams can involve scammers pretending to be bank representatives to trick you into giving away personal information or money. 

Scammers might call, email, or text, pretending to be from your bank. They often create a sense of urgency or fear to make you act quickly without thinking. 

For example, a scammer might call you pretending to be a bank representative, saying there has been suspicious activity on your account and you need to verify your information immediately to avoid losing money. These scams can be very convincing and emotionally manipulative. 

To protect yourself, be aware of these warning signs: 

• Unsolicited contact: You may be contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be from your bank via text, emails, or calls. 

• Urgency: Scammers will create pressure for you to act fast due to a possibility of suspicious activity or legal consequences. 

• Request for information: Scammers may ask you to provide sensitive information, such as your password, PINs, card numbers, or one-time codes. 

• Links: You may be requested to click on a link to provide information.  

• Unusual requests: You may be asked to do something out of the ordinary such as moving money to a different account to “secure your funds”, or downloading software. 

Stop: If you receive an unexpected call, email, or message claiming to be from your bank, stop and think before you respond. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to make you act quickly without thinking. 

Check: Verify the authenticity of the communication. If you get an unexpected call from CommBank you can ask us to use CallerCheck to verify it’s us, which will trigger a security message in your CommBank app. 

Contact your bank directly using the phone number on the back of your bank card or through their official website. Do not use any contact information provided in the suspicious message or call. 

Take your time to review messages, especially ones where you are requested to click on a link and provide information. If the message is asking for payment or personal details, verify the request on an authenticated platform, like the company’s genuine website that you’ve searched for, or an authenticated application.  

Reject: If it feels suspicious, delete the email, hang up, or block the number. Do not provide any personal or financial information.

If you fall victim to a scam, act quickly to minimise the damage: 

• Stop communication: Cease all contact with the scammer immediately. 

• Report the scam: Notify your bank if you have given any financial details immediately. Report the scam to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) through their Scamwatch website. 

• Monitor your accounts: Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for unauthorised transactions. 

• Change your passwords: If you shared any account details, change your passwords immediately and consider enabling two-factor authentication. 

• Seek support: Contact IDCARE, a free, government-funded service that provides support to victims of identity crime.