ANZ Scam: How to Spot Fake ANZ Calls, Texts and Safe Account Requests

An ANZ scam is a call, text, email or message from criminals pretending to be ANZ, usually to get your banking login and codes, gain remote access to your device, or persuade you to transfer money to a “safe account” they control. ANZ’s security advice describes the same limits as other Australian banks: it won’t ask you to move money to keep it safe, and it won’t ask for your password or codes. If you’re unsure, hang up and contact ANZ yourself using the number on your card or in the official ANZ app.

These scams are run by organized groups who practise their scripts constantly, so being targeted, or even caught out, isn’t a sign of carelessness. This guide explains the common versions, the warning signs, what to do in the first few minutes and how to report it.

How ANZ scams usually work

Most ANZ scams follow a two-step pattern: a message or call that creates alarm, then a request that hands the scammer control, whether that’s a code, access to your device or a transfer.

The text that sets up a call

A text says a large payment is pending, a new device has been registered or your card has been suspended, and asks you to reply or call if it wasn’t you. When you do, you reach the scammer. In other versions, the text simply contains a link to a fake ANZ sign-in page. Our guide to smishing covers these messages.

Impersonation calls

A caller says they’re from ANZ’s fraud team. They may know your name, where you live and the last digits of your card, often from data breaches. The caller ID may show a genuine ANZ number because caller ID can be spoofed. Our guide to vishing explains how that works.

The caller then asks you to “verify” yourself by reading out a code sent to your phone, or to approve a notification. That code or approval is often what lets the scammer sign in, add a payee or make a payment.

“Safe account” requests

You’re told your account has been compromised and that your money is only safe if you move it to a new account, sometimes described as a “holding account” or an account “in your name”. You may be coached on what to say if the app asks about the payment. The account belongs to the scammer or someone moving money for them. No genuine bank asks you to move money to protect it.

Remote-access requests

The caller says your phone or computer is infected and asks you to install an app so they can help. Once connected, they can see your screen and banking, and may move money while you’re distracted. Some callers pose as a telco or tech company first, then “transfer” you to someone posing as the bank.

Fake ads and social media accounts

Ads, search results and social media profiles sometimes use ANZ’s branding to offer high-interest term deposits, loans or “help” with complaints. They lead to phishing pages or requests for money. Check any offer by contacting ANZ yourself.

What ANZ says about how it contacts you

ANZ publishes security guidance on its official website about how it will and won’t contact you, and it’s worth checking there because the details are updated over time. In general terms:

• It won’t ask you to transfer money to another account to keep it safe.
• It won’t ask for your password, PIN or one-time codes. Codes are only for you to type in yourself.
• It won’t ask you to install software so someone can access your device.
• The safest way to check a message is to sign in through the official app or a web address you type yourself.

Warning signs of an ANZ scam

• A request to move money to a “safe”, “holding” or new account.
• A request to read out a code or approve something in the app you didn’t start.
• A request to install an app or share your screen.
• Coaching on what to tell the bank, or instructions to ignore warnings in the ANZ app.
• A text asking you to call a number or tap a link about a payment you don’t recognize.
• A payee name that doesn’t match what you were told, or a warning in your app that the payment looks like a scam.
• Pressure, secrecy and fear: your money will be gone in an hour, don’t hang up, don’t tell anyone.

What to do right now

1. End the contact. Hang up or close the page. Don’t approve or send anything else.
2. Contact ANZ yourself using the number on your card or in the official ANZ app, ideally from a different phone. Say you think you’ve been scammed and ask them to stop any payments, secure your accounts and check for new payees or devices.
3. Lock or cancel your cards if you shared card details. You can usually lock a card quickly in the app.
4. If you installed a remote-access app, disconnect the device from the internet, uninstall the app and don’t bank on that device until it’s been checked.
5. Change passwords for your banking and email accounts, from a device you trust.
6. Save the evidence: the number that called, texts, web addresses, account details you were given, and payment times and amounts.
7. Get identity help if you shared ID documents. IDCARE provides free identity and cyber support in Australia and New Zealand.

Where to report an ANZ scam

• ANZ, first and fastest, through official channels.
• Scamwatch: report the scam to Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre, which uses reports to warn the public and disrupt scams. Our guide on how to report a scam to Scamwatch walks through it.
• ReportCyber: if you lost money or someone accessed your accounts or device, report it through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
• The platform, for fake ads, pages or profiles using ANZ branding.

ANZ also operates in New Zealand. If you bank with ANZ there, contact the New Zealand bank through its official channels; the reporting services above are Australian. Our guide on how to report a scammer covers the general steps and routes in other countries.

Can you get your money back?

Sometimes. The outcome depends on how the money was taken and how fast you report it.

• Payments you didn’t authorise: report them straight away. The bank will assess your claim, and sharing codes or passwords can affect the outcome.
• Transfers you were deceived into making: the bank can ask the receiving bank to freeze or return the money. This works best when you act within minutes or hours, and it isn’t assured.
• Card payments: ask about a chargeback.
• Crypto and gift cards: usually very hard or impossible to reverse. Contact the exchange or issuer immediately anyway.

If you’re unhappy with ANZ’s response, make a formal complaint to the bank first, then, if needed, to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which is free. Ignore anyone who contacts you offering to recover your money for an upfront fee; recovery scams deliberately target recent victims.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case. Mei, a small-business owner in Adelaide, gets a text about a large payment to an overseas retailer, asking her to reply “NO” if it wasn’t her. She replies, and within minutes a woman calls saying she’s from the ANZ fraud team. The caller says Mei’s accounts have been compromised and that she must move her business savings to a new ANZ account while the fraud is investigated.

1. Mei starts the transfer in her app. The app shows a warning that the payment could be a scam and that the account name doesn’t appear to match.
2. The caller says the warning is “normal for secure accounts” and to continue. Being told to ignore her own bank’s warning makes Mei stop.
3. She cancels the payment, ends the call and phones the number on the back of her card from her office landline.
4. ANZ confirms there was no suspicious payment and no investigation. It secures her online banking and reviews her recent activity.
5. Mei reports the text and call to Scamwatch and warns her staff, since scammers sometimes target several people at the same business.

Mei lost nothing because she stopped when told to ignore a warning. If the payment had gone through, calling ANZ immediately would have given the best chance of recovery.

How to protect your ANZ accounts

• Remember the three “nevers”: never move money to a safe account, never read out a code, never let a caller onto your device.
• Use the official ANZ app from your phone’s app store, and type the web address yourself.
• Read every warning your app shows before you confirm a payment. If a caller tells you to ignore it, end the call.
• Turn on alerts for payments, new payees and sign-ins.
• Set sensible daily limits on transfers, and keep larger savings where they’re harder to move quickly if your bank offers that option.
• Brief your family or staff. Businesses and older customers are frequent targets.

The same playbook is used against customers of other banks; see our guides to the Westpac scam and the NAB scam. Scammers also impersonate government services, as in the myGov scam.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Replying to a scam text. A reply confirms your number is active and can trigger a call.
• Trusting caller ID or the fact that the caller knew your details.
• Calling back the number in a message. Use your card or the official app.
• Waiting to see if money goes missing before calling the bank. Speed matters most.
• Not reporting out of embarrassment. Reports help banks and agencies warn others. If you’re struggling, our help resources list support options.

If scammers are using your name or your business in fake accounts or messages, our guide to online impersonation explains how to report it, and our personal reputation management team can help if it’s affecting what people see when they search for you.

Frequently asked questions

Will ANZ ever ask me to move money to a safe account?

No. ANZ’s security guidance, like other banks’, says it won’t ask you to move money to keep it safe. Anyone who asks is a scammer. Hang up and contact ANZ through the number on your card or the official app.

Will ANZ ask for my one-time code over the phone?

No. Codes are only for you to type in yourself. If a caller asks you to read one out or approve a notification you didn’t start, end the call.

I replied to an ANZ scam text. What now?

Don’t answer calls that follow, and don’t tap any links. If you shared details or approved anything, contact ANZ straight away through official channels. Report the text to Scamwatch.

Where do I report an ANZ scam?

Report it to ANZ first, then to Scamwatch. Use ReportCyber if you lost money or someone accessed your accounts or device.

Can I get my money back from an ANZ scam?

Sometimes, depending on how the money left your account and how quickly you report it. If you disagree with ANZ’s decision, you can complain to AFCA.