A caller says your money is unsafe. Contact your bank yourself

A caller knows your name and says there has been suspicious activity on your bank account. They sound professional and insist that the safest response is to transfer your money immediately.

That request is a reason to stop. Scamwatch's bank-impersonation warning describes criminals who ask people to move money to protect it. Calls, texts and emails can be made to look as though they come from a bank.

Make a separate contact

End the conversation and contact your bank using its official app, the number on your card or contact details you find independently. Do not use a number or link provided by the caller to confirm the caller's identity.

This matters even when the message appears alongside genuine messages or the caller already knows something about you. Those details do not establish that the request is legitimate.

Keep security codes private

Scamwatch says a bank will not ask over the phone for your online banking password, PIN or one-time security codes. Someone describing a code as necessary to stop a fraud does not change what that code can authorise.

There is no need to win an argument with the caller. A simple decision to contact the bank yourself is enough. If the person objects to that, end the call rather than trying to resolve the pressure while still speaking to them.

If money or details have already been shared

Contact the bank immediately and explain the transfer or information involved. Follow its instructions to secure the account, preserve the messages and report the incident to Scamwatch. Do not send more money to someone promising recovery.

For families managing money across countries, agree on this response in advance: a security scare triggers an independent bank contact, not a hurried transfer. The accompanying ACCC animation shows the bank-impersonation tactic; it is an illustration, not footage of a real customer.