Latest fraud and scam alerts

Bank impersonation investment scams - April 2024

Australians are currently being targeted by scammers posing as a bank or financial institution promising lucrative investment or term deposit returns.

• Scammers may contact people on social media or via email posing as a broker or advisor from a bank or financial institution.
• The scammer may send the customer a very convincing looking “prospectus” highlighting the “offer”. The “prospectus” may copy the branding of a legitimate financial institution or bank.
• The scammer may impersonate the names and signatures of legitimate people working at the financial institution or bank.
• The investment or term deposit offers better than average returns.
• The person may be instructed to make a transfer to another financial account, or to a cryptocurrency wallet.

If you believe that you have paid money in a bank impersonation scam or investment scam, contact us on 13 22 65 or visit your nearest NAB branch immediately. 

NAB branded SMS phishing requesting payment confirmation – March 2024

The SMS contains a number for a fake call centre asking you to verify a scheduled payment. Do not call the number or provide any information.

• The message claims to be from NAB stating you’ve scheduled a payment to a payee.
• It asks you to call the number listed in the SMS if this wasn’t you. 
• This number is for a fake call centre that may request remote access to your computer and bank accounts or ask you to provide personal or banking information.
• If you have received this type of text message, please forward it to 0476 220 003 (047 NAB 0003) or take a screenshot, email it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the text message. 

If you have called the number after receiving this type of email or text message, contact us on 13 22 65 or visit your nearest NAB branch immediately.

Threats and extortion scams targeting international students

Callers pretending to be immigration and law enforcement agencies are targeting international students. These are not legitimate. Do not act on the threats. 

The call may have some of the below features:

• The caller may claim to be from a government agency requesting payment for a temporary visa and threaten legal action if you don’t pay.
• The caller may state that your identity has been used in a crime such as money laundering or creating fraudulent documents. 
• They may demand that you transfer money to international authorities for verification.
• They may threaten you with extradition or deportation, cancellation of visas, or criminal charges. 
• You may get an email with a link or a call with threatening language requesting immediate payment. 
• They may make threats to your life and request you transfer all your funds for verification immediately. 
• Never send money or provide personal or banking information to the caller. 
• Do not respond to any email containing these threats as this can lead to further intimidation and malicious activities. 
• Talk to your friends or family if you’re ever unsure about a call or email and something seems suspicious. This allows you to get a second opinion and can help spread awareness about a potential scam. 
• If you have any concerns about your safety, contact police on 131 444 immediately. 

If you believe your personal or bank information is compromised, contact us on 13 22 65 or visit your nearest NAB branch immediately.

Visit the AFP website for more information. , opens in new window

Invoice scams targeting Australian businesses – November 2023

• An invoice scam is when a business receives an emailed invoice from a supplier whose email account has been compromised by a criminal.
• The criminal will alter the payment details on the invoice to a fraudulent or mule account.
• As the invoice looks legitimate, the business doesn’t question the payment details, and sends the payment to the fraudulent account. 
• Another variation of an invoice scam is when a business receives a request advising a supplier’s or employee’s payment details have changed, and to make payments to a new account.

Before processing invoices, check the payment details against the last invoice. If they have changed, or you receive a request to update payment details:

• Do not proceed with the transaction(s), and 
• Call the supplier/sender to confirm the legitimacy of the request, using a known contact or publicly listed number. Do not call the number on the new invoice/email. 
• Speak to your banker about adding extra security to your account by using a security token, dual authorisation and segregation of duties. 

If you have received an email of this type and actioned the request, please contact NAB on 13 22 65 and ask for the Anti-Scam Investigations Team. While we’ll make every effort to recall funds, recovery is not guaranteed.

Learn more about protecting your business from invoice scams. 

Fake NAB website directing to remote access software – November 2023

Cyber criminals are creating fake NAB and NAB Connect websites. Do not click anything on this page and close the window immediately.

• A fake NAB and NAB Connect page will ask customers to open a "live chat".
• These links will download a remote access software for criminals to take control of customer devices. 

• Do not click anything on this page and close the window immediately. 
• NAB will never ask customers to download programs directly from our site. 
• NAB will always direct you to the appropriate download source. 
  

If you believe your bank information is compromised, contact us on 13 22 65 or visit your nearest NAB branch immediately. 

Fake Ticketing Scams – October 2023

Australians are being targeted by scammers selling fake or duplicate tickets to popular events such as concerts, music festivals and sporting matches. Unfortunately, the tickets either don’t exist or are fake.

• Criminals offer tickets to often sold-out events at heavily discounted prices. Buyers may not know their tickets are fake until they arrive at the event and are refused admission.

• Scammers can create fake ticketing websites that look legitimate and hook buyers in through email scams or pretend to offer tickets through lotteries and competitions that require payment or personal information to secure the tickets.

• Fake ticket scams are also popular on social media and online marketplaces.

• Buyers may be instructed to pay using unusual payment methods, such as cryptocurrency or direct money transfers. 

• Ticket reselling websites exploit events in high demand, reselling tickets at excessively high prices.

• It’s recommended that you only buy tickets from authorised ticket sellers. You can check the websites or social media pages of the event promoter, venue, performer or sporting club to find out how to buy official tickets.
• Find out when the tickets are going on sale. Tickets available before the official date may be fake.
• If you search for tickets online, be cautious about clicking on ads that appear at the top of search results, as scammers sometimes pay for these ads to appear at the top, so you might think you’re visiting a legitimate ticket website.
• It’s safer to pay for tickets using a credit card, as your funds may be recovered if something goes wrong. Be cautious if sending funds to a ticket seller’s bank account – private sales don’t offer buyers any protection if the ticket isn’t real.
• If you’re directed to an unexpected website during the payment process, don’t proceed with the purchase.
• Buying tickets through social media or online marketplaces always comes with a risk. If you decide to proceed with the purchase, do so with caution, checking whether the seller has a legitimate profile, positive ratings, or other listings.
• People are quick to call out a scam, so always check reviews for the seller or website before making a purchase.
• Remember, if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

If you believe that you’ve paid money to a scammer in a ticketing scam, contact us on 13 22 65 or visit your nearest NAB branch immediately. 

PayID scams on second-hand selling websites – August 2023

We’re aware of NAB-branded emails sent by scammers which states that your payment is on hold, and you need to upgrade to a business account. You may be asked to transfer funds back to the buyer to secure the transaction. Do not send funds. This is a scam.

• Scammers may contact people listing items on online marketplaces.
• Using what’s often a fake or compromised social media profile, they make an offer to purchase the item.
• They’ll ask for the seller’s email to confirm the transaction. 
• Shortly after, the scammer claims they have sent the money for the goods using a “NAB” account, and the seller should check their email. 
• The seller receives a fake email from “NAB”, claiming the funds are on “hold” because the seller does not have a “business account”.
• The scammer may then claim that they have sent extra money to upgrade the seller’s account, which they may pressure the seller to immediately reimburse. However, no money will appear in the seller’s account.
• If you have received this type of email, please forward it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the email. 

If you have transferred funds after receiving this type of email, contact us on 13 22 65 or visit your nearest NAB branch immediately.