On a call with a Member, I could hear someone in the background. It was a scammer on the Member’s other phone, giving our Member instructions to pass onto me. I knew something wasn’t right and kept asking questions. Our Member called back the next day to thank me - my persistent questioning saved him from being scammed and losing $15,000.
Received a text or call that seemed too good to be true? It usually is.
Legitimate companies will never ask you to reveal passwords or financial information. Beware of scams and stay updated on national scams by reviewing current scams at scamwatch.gov.au.
NEVER give any information like SMS One Time Passwords or codes to anyone.
Bank First will NEVER request this information from Members.
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.
Usually, scam callers call you out of the blue and try to use scare tactics to get you to hand over personal financial information. If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is.
Scammers might:
Use ‘robocalls’ or recorded messages telling you that you must act immediately and provide financial details to avoid a financial penalty.
Make you feel threatened or afraid.
Pretend that you’ve won money and request your bank details to deposit the funds.
Pretend to be from a trusted organisation (even government) to get your personal details.
Give you fake employee ID numbers to make it seem like they are really employees of a known organisation.
As technology advances, there are many ways that scammers can mimic real phone numbers to trick you into answering the call.
While it won’t stop scammers, if you receive a lot of telemarketing calls, you can also reduce these by registering your phone number on the Do Not Call Register. If your number is listed on the Do Not Call Register, it’s illegal for telemarketers to call you.
There are a few simple things you can do to protect yourself from scams.
You should:
Not answer unknown numbers or unfamiliar phone numbers - they will leave a voicemail if it’s important and you can check the phone number online to see if it’s real.
Never tell your personal details to anyone over the phone until you’ve researched and confirmed that they are in fact who they say they are.
Never let anyone who has called you out of the blue, take over your computer remotely.
Block scam phone numbers on your device (Google your device type and blocking phone numbers for instructions).
Use a password on your mobile phone.
If you think you’ve been scammed and potentially lost money, please contact our friendly customer service team immediately on 1300 654 822 and they will assist you.
The information provided on this website does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Therefore, you should firstly consider the appropriateness of this information and refer to the Terms and Conditions or the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before acquiring a product. These documents are available at our branches or by contacting us on 1300 654 822.
