Bank Fraud Alert Text Scam — What Australians Need to Know
A text message appearing to be from CommBank, ANZ, Westpac, or NAB says a suspicious transaction was detected and urges you to verify through a link. Australian banks may text you about suspicious activity, but they will never include a link. Tapping the link takes you to a fake banking portal that steals your credentials.
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How This Scam Works
Critical Risk — Australian Banking Smishing Scam
Australian banks may text you about suspicious activity, but they will never include a link. Any text with a link claiming to be from your bank is a scam.
Note: This scam typically arrives via text message, not email. If you received a suspicious email, forward it to check@scam.support for a free risk assessment. For text scams, report to Scamwatch — see all reporting agencies.
A text message appearing to be from CommBank, ANZ, Westpac, or NAB says a suspicious transaction was detected and urges you to verify through a link. The link leads to a fake banking portal. In some cases the text appears in the same thread as legitimate bank messages because scammers spoof the bank's sender ID.
According to the ACCC's Scamwatch, Australians lost over $2.74 billion to scams in 2023, with phishing (including smishing) being one of the most common delivery methods.
Red Flags
- Text includes a link — Australian banks never send links by SMS
- Appears in the same thread as real bank texts (sender ID spoofing)
- Asks you to verify your identity or confirm a transaction via link
- Creates urgency about unauthorized access
- Provides a phone number different from the one on your card
What You Should Do
What To Do
- Do not tap any links in the text
- Call your bank using the number on the back of your card
- Check your account through your banking app
- Report the text to Scamwatch
- Contact IDCARE (1800 595 160) if you shared personal information
Sources
- Scamwatch (ACCC) — Targeting Scams: Report of the ACCC on Scams Activity 2023 (total losses $2.74 billion)
- Scamwatch (ACCC) — Types of scams including phishing and smishing