Westpac Scam: How to Spot Fake Westpac Calls, Texts and Remote Access Requests

A Westpac scam is a call, text, email or message from criminals pretending to be Westpac, usually to get your online banking details, persuade you to let them onto your computer or phone, or talk you into moving money to a “safe account”. Westpac’s security guidance makes the same point as every Australian bank: it won’t ask you to move money to protect it, and it won’t ask for remote access to your device. If something doesn’t feel right, hang up and call Westpac using the number on your card or in the official Westpac app.

These scams are designed by professionals who practise on thousands of people. If you’ve been caught out, you’re not foolish, and acting quickly can make a real difference. This guide covers the common versions, the warning signs and what to do now.

How Westpac scams usually work

Scammers rotate stories, but most Westpac scams fit into a few patterns. They may also use the names of other brands in the Westpac group, such as St.George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA, so the same advice applies to customers of those banks.

Impersonation calls from the “fraud team”

A caller says they’re from Westpac’s fraud or security team and that there’s suspicious activity on your account. They may know your name, address and part of your card number, and the caller ID may even show a real bank number, because caller ID can be spoofed. Our guide to vishing explains how that works.

The aim is to get you to read out a one-time code, approve a notification in the app, confirm your login details or move money.

Scam texts with links

An SMS says your card has been locked, a new payee has been added, or a payment needs to be confirmed, and links to a page that looks like Westpac’s sign-in screen. Whatever you type is sent to the scammer. Sometimes the text is followed by a call to make the story feel more real. Our guide to smishing covers scam texts in general.

Remote-access requests

This version is especially damaging. The caller says your computer or phone has been hacked, your internet is being misused, or you’re owed a refund, and asks you to install an app so they can “fix” it or “process” the refund. Once connected, they can watch your screen, see your banking and sometimes move money while you’re distracted.

A common twist: the scammer shows a “refund” that’s too large and asks you to send the difference back. In reality, they’ve moved money between your own accounts or edited what’s on the screen, and the money you “return” is yours.

“Safe account” requests

You’re told your account has been compromised, perhaps by a staff member, and that you need to move your savings to a new account to keep them safe while the bank investigates. The account belongs to the scammer. Some versions add a second caller pretending to be the police or a government agency. No genuine bank or agency asks you to move money to protect it.

Fake investment and “bank-backed” offers

Ads and messages sometimes use Westpac’s name or logo to promote term deposits, bonds or investment products that sound secure. The money goes to scammers. Check any offer by contacting the bank yourself. Our guide to investment scams explains the signs.

What Westpac says it won’t do

Westpac publishes security guidance on its official website describing how it will and won’t contact you, and it’s worth checking there because the wording changes over time. In general terms, the points are consistent with advice from other Australian banks:

• It won’t ask you to move money to a “safe account” to protect it.
• It won’t ask for remote access to your computer or phone.
• It won’t ask for your password or one-time codes, and a code sent to you is only for you to type in yourself.
• Links in messages aren’t a safe way to sign in. Use the official app or type the website address yourself.

Warning signs of a Westpac scam

• A request to install an app or to share your screen.
• A request to move money to a new or “safe” account, even one they say is in your name.
• A request to read out a code or approve something in the app that you didn’t start.
• A “refund” that’s too large, followed by a request to send the extra back.
• Instructions to ignore warnings in your banking app or to give the bank a false reason for a payment.
• Urgency and secrecy: act now, don’t hang up, don’t tell anyone, including branch staff.
• A link in a text or email that leads to a sign-in page.
• Caller ID showing a real bank number. It proves nothing on its own.

What to do right now

1. Stop. Hang up, close the page and don’t approve or send anything else.
2. If someone has remote access, disconnect the device from the internet straight away and don’t use online banking on it until it’s been checked. Uninstall any app you were told to install.
3. Call Westpac using the number on your card or in the official app, ideally from a different phone. Tell them you think you’ve been scammed and ask them to stop payments, secure your accounts and check for new payees or changes.
4. Change your passwords for online banking and email, from a device you trust.
5. Freeze or cancel cards you’ve shared details of. Most banking apps let you temporarily lock a card.
6. Save the evidence: phone numbers, texts, web addresses, the name of any app you installed, account details you were given, and times and amounts.
7. Get identity support if you shared ID documents or a lot of personal information. IDCARE offers free identity and cyber support in Australia and New Zealand.

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

Where to report a Westpac scam

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

If you bank with Westpac in New Zealand, contact the New Zealand bank through its official channels; the reporting services above are Australian. For reporting routes in other countries and general steps after any scam, 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 act.

• Transactions you didn’t authorise, such as payments made by someone with remote access: report them immediately. Banks assess these claims, and your responsibility often depends on whether you shared codes or passwords.
• Transfers you were tricked into making: the bank can try to recover funds from the receiving bank. This sometimes works, especially if you report within minutes or hours, but it isn’t assured.
• Card payments: ask about a chargeback.
• Crypto and gift cards: usually very hard to recover. Contact the exchange or issuer anyway.

If you’re unhappy with Westpac’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 who offers to recover your money for a fee; recovery scams often target people who have just lost money.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case. Graham, a retiree in Perth, gets a call from someone who says they’re from Westpac’s security team. The caller says hackers have got into Graham’s computer and are using it to access his accounts. To “trace” them, Graham needs to install a support app and log in to online banking while the caller watches.

1. Graham installs the app and logs in. The caller says a “security refund” has been paid in, and Graham’s screen shows far more money than expected.
2. The caller says it was a mistake and asks Graham to transfer the extra to a “Westpac holding account”. Something about being asked to move money makes Graham hesitate.
3. He says he needs to check with his daughter and hangs up. He switches off his home internet.
4. From his mobile, he calls the number on his Westpac card. The bank confirms there was no refund; money had been moved from his savings to his everyday account to make the balance look higher. It secures his accounts and advises him to have the computer checked.
5. He reports the call to Scamwatch and to ReportCyber.

Graham didn’t lose money because he stopped before transferring anything. Had he sent the money, calling the bank within minutes would have given the best chance of recovery.

How to protect your Westpac accounts

• Never install software or share your screen because a caller asked you to.
• Use the official Westpac app from your phone’s app store, and type the website address yourself.
• Turn on notifications for payments, new payees and sign-ins, so you notice changes quickly.
• Take app warnings seriously. If your app flags a payment as a possible scam, or the account name doesn’t seem to match, stop and check.
• Set daily transfer limits that match how you actually bank.
• Talk to older relatives about remote-access and safe account scams. Knowing the pattern is the strongest protection.

The same tactics are used against customers of other Australian banks; our guides to the ANZ scam and the CommBank scam cover those banks’ versions, and our ING scam guide covers the same fake fraud team calls. Scammers also pose as telcos, as in the Telstra scam, to set up remote-access calls.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Staying on the line “just to see what they say”. The longer the call, the more pressure builds.
• Trusting what’s on your screen during a remote session. The scammer can move money between your own accounts or edit what you see.
• Calling back a number from a text or voicemail. Use your card or the official app.
• Keeping using the device after remote access. Get it checked or reset first.
• Not reporting because you feel embarrassed. Banks see these cases every day. If it’s affected you, our help resources list support options.

If scammers are using your name or business in fake accounts or ads, our guide to online impersonation explains how to report it, and our personal reputation management team can help if the fallout is showing up in search results.

Frequently asked questions

Will Westpac ever ask for remote access to my computer?

No. Westpac’s security guidance says it won’t ask for remote access to your device. Anyone who asks you to install an app or share your screen so they can help with your banking is a scammer.

Will Westpac ask me to move money to a safe account?

No genuine bank asks you to move money to protect it. Hang up and call Westpac using the number on your card or in the official app.

I let a scammer onto my computer. What should I do?

Disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the app, call Westpac from another phone using a number you trust, change your passwords from a safe device, and get the computer checked before you use it for banking again.

How do I report a Westpac scam text?

Don’t tap the link. Report it to Westpac through its official channels and to Scamwatch, then delete it. If you entered details, call the bank straight away.

Can Westpac refund money I lost to a scam?

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