Phishing scams are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving out personal information such as your bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers.

How does this scam work?

A scammer contacts you pretending to be from a legitimate business such a bank, telephone or internet service provider. You may be contacted by email, social media, phone call, or text message.

The scammer asks you to provide or confirm your personal details. Or, they may ask you to fill out a customer survey and offer a prize for participating.

Alternatively, the scammer may alert you to 'unauthorised or suspicious activity on your account'.

Phishing messages are designed to look genuine, and often copy the format used by the organisation the scammer is pretending to represent, including their branding and logo. They will take you to a fake website that looks like the real deal, but has a slightly different address. For example, if the legitimate site is 'www.realbank.com.au', the scammer may use an address like 'www.reallbank.com'.

If you provide the scammer with your details online or over the phone, they will use them to carry out fraudulent activities, such as using your credit cards and stealing your money.

If you find yourself receiving an email or phone call that doesn’t seem quite right, it probably isn’t. Delete the email, or hang up the phone to be safe. If the email or phone call were legitimate, they will find a way to get back in contact with you.

If you are unsure about a communication you have received please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact AWA  immediately.

For more updates on scams, visit the scamwatch website.