How to know if it's really ANZ contacting you

Estimated reading time
 5 min

Key points

• When you’re contacted by someone claiming to be from ‘ANZ’, it can be tricky to determine if it’s legitimate or fake, especially if your phone displays ‘ANZ’.
  
  
• ANZ will never call and ask you to transfer money, share your screen, reveal your passwords, or give your account or personal details.
  
  
• Hanging up and pausing before acting is just one of the steps you can take to help protect yourself from scams.

From everyday transactions to paying off your home loan, your bank is one of the most critical institutions you’ll engage with in life.

When you opened your account, you most likely shared some personal information – like your name, phone number, and address. But you also got some vital information in return, including a unique customer number, an account number and banking card details.

Entrusting a bank with your money (and personal details) is an important decision, and around 60% of Australians trust that banks will keep their personal data safe, with those aged 55 and older being more likely to trust a bank than the general population.¹

And it’s this trust that scammers exploit when they impersonate a bank.

Scammers often claim to be from a bank with requests to verify account numbers or passwords. They may also ask for confirmation of your bank account balance.

“Responding to an ANZ impersonator can be quite devastating,” says Nicholas Walsh, ANZ Cybercrime Specialist. “You can lose a lot of money – it’s a big thing for someone to go through.”

Knowing how to determine if ANZ is contacting you can help protect your money and personal information from scammers.

What is a business impersonation scam?

Simply put, a business impersonation scam occurs when a scammer contacts you pretending to be a trusted organisation (like ANZ or another bank) or a person (like a family member). The scammers try to get your personal information or money (or both). This could happen via call, text message, or email.

Sometimes, a message or call might seem to be from ANZ—either because the text appears in the same thread as legitimate messages from ANZ or because it may have ‘ANZ’ on the caller ID (the name that pops up when someone rings you). This is called ‘spoofing’, a practice that scammers use to disguise their phone number and make it appear as though the call or text message is coming from a legitimate source, like ANZ. They do this with technology that modifies the caller ID.

When this happens, it is extremely difficult to determine if it’s a legitimate representative of your bank who’s calling. However, there are steps you might consider to help keep your information and accounts safe.

5 signs it’s a scammer (not ANZ) contacting you

“These scams can happen weekly, if not daily,” says Nicholas. “Unfortunately, it’s still happening. That’s why it’s important customers know how to tell if it’s really ANZ or a scammer who’s contacting them.”

Here are five signs to look out for:

1. The scammer contacts you unexpectedly and asks for personal or banking information. ANZ will never contact you out of the blue and ask for this sensitive information.
   
   
2. There’s pressure to keep talking. “If anyone from ANZ contacts you, and you’re not feeling comfortable to talk, we won’t push you to keep the conversation going," says Nicholas. If you’re in any way suspicious, he advises that you hang up and call back using the phone number on the back of your banking card or from your statement.
   
   
3. The scammer pressures or threatens you to act quickly. “They’ll try to push you to do something and give you no time to reflect and think on things,” explains Nicholas. "ANZ will never put pressure on you to do something straight away."
   
   
4. They’re confirming information ANZ should already know. “One of the major red flags is that the caller is asking you questions that ANZ would already know the answers to,” says Nicholas. “For example, if they ask, ‘What are your account balances?’ that should raise alarm bells. ANZ will already know the answer to that.”
   
   
5. They contact you for a reason that doesn’t sound quite right. “For example, if they’re calling to say they’ve deposited too much money into your account, ask yourself why ANZ would do that in the first place,” Nicholas explains. “It just doesn’t make sense, so there’s a strong chance it’s a scammer.”

What to do if you think you’re communicating with a scammer

• Hang up straight away if you’re unsure or don’t feel comfortable. “It’s easy to end the conversation by disengaging or hanging up,” Nicholas says.
  
  
• “Pay close attention to the message or email,” says Nicholas. If it’s from a scammer, the email address might not match the organisation they’re claiming to be from, or there might be a slight difference in the logo or email signature. Even the fonts might be different from those in official emails from the organisation. Scrutinise every detail to check whether it’s legitimate or a scam.
  
  
• Take a moment to pause and think before you act. This can help you determine whether the person is a legitimate representative from your bank or a scammer.
  
  
• Don’t click on any links that appear in messages or open attachments. Attachments and URLs can install malware onto your device, destroying essential files or collecting your data without consent. Nicholas advises, “A fake URL can be hidden very well in an email, so being on the lookout for a dodgy link or anything suspicious can help you protect yourself.”

What can you do if you think an ANZ impersonator has scammed you?

• If you’ve shared financial information or transferred money, contact your bank straight away. If you’re an ANZ customer, contact us immediately to report it.
  
  
• If you shared credit card details, ‘block’ or cancel those cards immediately. If your cards are with ANZ, you can report the stolen card through the ANZ app or by calling us.
  
  
• Report and block the phone number or email address on your device or through the platform you used.

Who can you contact if an ANZ impersonator has targeted you?

• If you’re an ANZ customer, you can report fraud or suspicious activity in multiple ways, such as through the ANZ app or by calling us.
  
  
• Contact the Australian Cyber Security hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1300 CYBER1 (or 1300 292 371).
  
  
• Help others by reporting to Scamwatch or to the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre’s ReportCyber.
  
  
• You can also contact IDCare, a not-for-profit organisation providing support to those experiencing identity and cyber security concerns.
  
  
• Contact your bank immediately if you share personal or financial information.