How to help protect yourself from scams & fraud

If you think you've been scammed, stop communicating with the suspected scammer and don't send any more money or personal information. If your accounts or cards may be affected, message us in the CommBank app at any time, or call 13 2221. We'll explain the next steps and help secure your banking where possible.

In the meantime, you can change any passwords that may have been compromised and monitor your accounts for unusual activity. 

Report a scam in the CommBank app 24/7 or call us on 13 2221.

If you've received a suspicious email or text message claiming to be from CommBank, don't click any links or reply to the sender. Reporting scams helps us investigate suspicious activity and warn other customers.

If you've shared your banking details, message us in the CommBank app at any time or call 13 2221.

Change any affected passwords or PINs, review recent transactions and stay alert for follow-up contact from scammers claiming to be from a bank, government agency or technology provider. 

Before sending money, verify that the payment request is genuine. Scammers often create a sense of urgency and may pretend to be a business, government agency, bank, family member or supplier to pressure you into acting quickly.

To help protect yourself:

• Stop and think before making a payment, especially if you're being rushed.
• Contact the person or organisation using a trusted phone number (such as from their official website or app) or through a legitimate contact method you've used before.
• Double-check account details with the legitimate person or organisation if you've been asked to pay a new bank account or update existing payment information.
• Be cautious of requests received by text message, email or social media, particularly if they contain links or unexpected instructions.
• If something doesn't feel right, take extra time to verify the request before sending money.

Remember, once money is sent, it can be difficult, or even impossible, to recover. Taking a few minutes to independently verify a payment request could help protect you from scams and fraud.

Yes. Message us in the CommBank app or call 13 2221 immediately if you've sent money to a scammer.

We can't guarantee that funds sent to a scammer can be recovered, but reporting the scam as soon as possible may help us investigate the payment and take appropriate action. We'll also help secure your accounts and explain what to do next.

Behavioural information is data about how a person typically uses and interacts with their device. This can include patterns in how they move, behave or navigate while using it. 

We use this information to better understand a customer's usual device activity. If activity appears unusual or doesn't match these patterns, it may indicate that an account has been compromised or that a device is being used without the customer's authorisation. 

Learn more about how we use behavioural information 

Common scams include:

• Impersonation scams
• Phishing scams
• Investment scams
• Online shopping scams
• Invoice scams
• Remote access scams

Scammers often pretend to be from banks, government agencies, technology companies or trusted businesses. They may try to get you to share personal information, give access to a device or send money. Scam tactics change regularly, so it's important to know some of the latest warning signs.

Stay aware of the latest scams

The safest way to verify a text message is to contact CommBank using a trusted channel, rather than by replying to the message or using its links. Open the CommBank app and message us, or call 13 2221.

Warning signs that a text message may be a scam include:

• Pressure to act urgently
• Links asking you to log on or verify your account
• Requests for personal information, passwords or PINs
• Requests to transfer money or make a payment

Scam emails often:

• Create a sense of urgency
• Ask for personal or banking information
• Encourage you to click a link
• Ask you to open an attachment

Be cautious of unexpected emails, unusual sender addresses, spelling mistakes or requests that seem out of character. If you're unsure whether an email is legitimate, don't click any links. Instead, go directly to the organisation's official website or use a trusted contact method to verify the request.

Phishing is a scam where a person pretends to be a trusted organisation to trick you into sharing personal information, passwords, PINs, security codes or other bank details.

Phishing attempts can arrive through emails, text messages or social media messages. The goal is often to steal information, access accounts or convince people to make payments. Knowing the warning signs can help reduce the risk of scams, fraud and identity theft.

Learn more about phishing

Anyone can be targeted by a scam. Scammers rely on psychology, often creating urgency, fear, excitement or trust to influence your decision making. Often, the most effective protection is taking time to stop, think and verify before acting.

If someone is pressuring you to make a payment, share personal information or act immediately, take a step back before responding. Creating a sense of urgency is a common tactic used by scammers to stop people from thinking clearly or verifying a request.

Before taking any action, independently verify the request using a trusted phone number, website or contact method. If you're unsure, stop, check and reject.