NAB Scam: Fake NAB Fraud Team Calls, Impersonation Texts and Remote Access

A NAB scam is a call, text, email or message from criminals pretending to be National Australia Bank, usually to get your internet banking details or one-time codes, persuade you to let them onto your computer or phone, or talk you into moving money. Like other Australian banks, NAB says it won’t ask you for remote access to your device or ask you to move money to keep it safe. If a call about your account worries you, hang up and call NAB back using the number on your card or in the official NAB app.

These scams are run by professionals who rehearse their scripts. Being targeted, or caught out, doesn’t mean you were careless. What matters now is acting quickly, and this guide walks through each step.

How NAB scams usually work

The details change often, but most NAB scams follow a few patterns. Many combine them: a text that sets the scene, then a call that applies the pressure.

Fake NAB fraud team calls

A caller says they’re from NAB’s fraud or security team and that there’s a suspicious payment or login on your account. They may know your name, address and the last digits of your card. The caller ID might show a genuine NAB number, because caller ID can be spoofed; our guide to vishing explains how that works.

What they want next varies: a code sent to your phone, approval of a request in the NAB app, your login details, or a transfer to “protect” your savings.

Impersonation texts

An SMS says a new payee has been added, a large payment is pending, or your card has been suspended. Some texts include a link to a fake login page; others ask you to call a number, which connects you to the scammer. Scam texts can appear in the same message thread as genuine NAB messages, because the sender name can be faked. Our guide to smishing covers how this happens.

Remote-access scams

The caller says your computer has been hacked, your internet has been compromised, or you’re due a refund. They ask you to install an app so they can “fix” the problem or “process” the refund. Once connected, they can see your screen, watch you log in and sometimes move money.

A common trick is the fake overpayment. Your screen shows a refund that’s far too large, and you’re asked to send back the difference. In reality, the scammer has moved your own money between your accounts or altered what’s on the screen, so the “extra” you return is yours.

These calls don’t always claim to be from the bank. Some start as a telco, internet provider or government agency, then hand you to a fake “NAB” contact. Our guide to the Telstra scam covers the telco version, and the myGov scam guide covers the government one.

“Safe account” and fake police stories

You’re told a bank employee is involved in fraud, or that police are investigating your account, and that your money must be moved to a new account while they work. Sometimes a second caller claims to be from the police or a government agency to back up the story. The account belongs to the scammer.

Fake NAB investment offers

Ads and emails use NAB’s name to promote term deposits or bonds with attractive rates. Check any offer by contacting NAB yourself. Our guide to investment scams explains what to look for.

What NAB says it won’t do

NAB publishes security guidance on its official website, and it’s worth checking there because the wording is updated. In general terms, it matches what other Australian banks say:

• It won’t ask for remote access to your computer or phone.
• It won’t ask you to move money to a “safe account”.
• It won’t ask for your password or one-time codes. A code sent to you is for you to enter yourself.
• Links in messages aren’t a safe way to log in. Use the official NAB app or type the web address yourself.

Warning signs of a NAB scam

• A request to install an app or share your screen.
• A request to move money, even to an account “in your name”.
• A request to read out a code or approve something in the app you didn’t start.
• A refund that’s too big, followed by a request to send the difference back.
• Being told to ignore warnings in the app or to give the bank a made-up reason for a payment.
• Urgency and secrecy: don’t hang up, don’t tell family, don’t go to a branch.
• A text telling you to call a number about a payment you don’t recognize.

What to do right now

1. Stop. Hang up, close any web page and don’t approve or send anything else.
2. If someone has remote access, disconnect the device from the internet straight away and uninstall the app they asked you to install. Don’t use it for banking until it’s been checked or reset.
3. Call NAB using the number on your card or in the official app, from another phone if possible. Say you think you’ve been scammed and ask it to stop payments, secure your accounts and check for new payees or changes.
4. Change your passwords for internet banking and email, from a device you trust.
5. Lock or cancel cards whose details you shared. The NAB app lets you temporarily lock a card.
6. Save the evidence: numbers, texts, links, the name of any app installed, account details you were given, and times and amounts.
7. Get identity support if you shared ID or a lot of personal details. IDCARE is a free national identity and cyber support service.

Our guide on what to do if your bank account is hacked covers securing your wider accounts.

Where to report a NAB scam

• NAB, first and fastest, using the number on your card or in the app.
• Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre. Our guide on how to report a scam to Scamwatch walks through it.
• ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au, if you lost money or someone accessed your device or accounts.
• The platform, for fake ads, pages or social media accounts using NAB branding.

For reporting routes in other countries and a general checklist, see our guide on how to report a scammer.

Can you get your money back?

It depends on how the money left your account and how quickly you report it.

• Transactions you didn’t authorize, such as transfers made by someone with remote access: report them straight away. Banks assess these claims, and the outcome can depend on whether codes or passwords were shared.
• Transfers you were tricked into making: NAB can try to recover funds from the receiving bank. That sometimes works if you report within minutes or hours, but there’s no certainty.
• Card payments: ask about a chargeback.
• Crypto and gift cards: usually very hard to recover. Contact the exchange or card issuer anyway.

If you’re unhappy with NAB’s decision, use its internal complaints process first. If that doesn’t resolve it, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which is free. Be wary of anyone offering to get your money back for a fee; recovery scams target people who’ve just been scammed.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case. Deb, a small business owner in Adelaide, gets a text in her usual NAB message thread saying a new payee has been added and to call a number if it wasn’t her. She calls. A friendly “fraud officer” says someone is inside her account and asks her to approve a notification in the NAB app to “block” them.

1. The notification on her screen asks her to approve adding a payee. That doesn’t match what the caller said, and she doesn’t tap it.
2. The caller becomes impatient and says her money will be gone in minutes. The pressure makes her more suspicious.
3. She hangs up and calls the number on the back of her NAB card from her office landline. NAB confirms no payee was added and the text wasn’t from the bank.
4. She reports the text and call to Scamwatch and warns her staff, since the business account could be targeted next.

Deb kept her money because she read what the app was actually asking her to approve. If she’d approved it, calling NAB immediately would have given the best chance of stopping a transfer.

How to protect your NAB accounts

• Never install software or share your screen because a caller asked.
• Read every approval request in the app, and decline anything you didn’t start.
• Use the official NAB app from your phone’s app store, and type the website address yourself.
• Turn on alerts for payments, new payees and logins.
• Set transfer limits that match how you actually bank.
• Talk to family and staff about remote-access and safe account calls, which often target older people and small businesses.

The same scripts are used against customers of other Australian banks; our guides to the Westpac scam and the CommBank scam cover those banks’ versions.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Trusting a text because it sits in your real NAB thread. Sender names can be faked.
• Believing what’s on your screen during a remote session.
• Calling a number from a text or voicemail. Use the number on your card.
• Carrying on with the device after remote access without getting it checked.
• Staying silent out of embarrassment. Banks handle these cases every day. If the experience has shaken you, our help resources list support options.

If scammers are using your own name or business, our guide to online impersonation explains what to do, and our personal reputation management team can help if the fallout reaches your search results.

Frequently asked questions

Will NAB ever ask for remote access to my computer?

No. NAB says it won’t ask for remote access to your device. Anyone asking you to install an app or share your screen for your banking is a scammer.

I got a NAB text in my normal message thread. Is it real?

Not necessarily. Scammers can fake the sender name so their texts appear alongside genuine ones. Don’t tap links or call numbers in the text; check in the NAB app or call the number on your card.

How do I report a NAB scam?

Contact NAB using the number on your card or in the app, then report to Scamwatch. If you lost money or someone accessed your device, also report through ReportCyber.

Will NAB refund money I lost to a scam?

Sometimes. It depends on how the money left your account and how quickly you reported it. If you disagree with the bank’s decision, you can complain to AFCA.