Scams Awareness Week

92 per cent of Australians have been exposed to a scam in the last year.

Here are the THREE things you need to do if you get caught out.

Act quickly: The sooner you act, the sooner we can place protections on your accounts and try to limit the damage.

Report it and get support: If you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information, visit www.bendigobank.com.au/security

Here, you’ll find all the resources you need to get immediate help and report the
scam to Scamwatch by the A-triple-C, and if necessary, make a report through the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

The sooner you act, the sooner we can place protections on your accounts and try to limit the damage.

Change your login credentials for any
accounts, inboxes or services that may have been compromised.

IDCare can assist you with a tailored response plan following any fraudulent or scam activity.

How e-banking can help protect you from scams
Bendigo Bank e-banking has a number of tools available to help safeguard and protect your accounts against fraud and scams.

Monitor transactions and balances
With 24/7 access to your accounts online, you don't have to wait for paper bank statements. Make sure you regularly check your transaction history for any suspicious activity.

Utilise card controls
We offer a comprehensive set of card controls to protect your debit or credit card.

You can change settings to permit or prevent ATM, contactless, in-store, and online transactions, both domestically and internationally. You can also restrict transactions from specific merchant categories such as gambling.

You can change these controls as often as needed for added security.

Act quickly for lost or stolen cards

If your card is lost or stolen, take swift action to protect yourself.

You can temporarily block a misplaced card in e-banking to prevent unauthorised use, then simply unblock the card if you find it again.

You can report your card as lost or stolen in e-banking and we'll cancel the card and issue a new one,  which should arrive in 5-10 business days.

Set Pay anyone limits

You can adjust your Pay anyone daily limits to control the amount you can transfer and protect your account.

This allows you to set your desired daily limit and adjust your limit as needed for added flexibility.

Log onto e-banking from your secure app or at www.bendigobank.com.au

How to recognise a bank impersonation scam
20 million dollars was lost to bank impersonation scams in Australia in 2022. Here’s what you need to know.

A bank impersonation scam involves emails, texts or phone calls claiming to be from your bank. These scams attempt to capture your personal or financial data.

Here are three important warning signs that an email, text or phone call from your bank isn’t legitimate.

1. Urgency or threats - scammers will attempt to get you to act quickly by demanding urgent action or using strong language to instil fear.

2. Tone or wording - even if a message appears in the same thread as genuine messages from your bank, unusual tone, wording or spelling errors can indicate a scam.

3. Links to update your details - never click links in text messages or emails claiming to be from your bank if it’s a request to update your information. Bendigo Bank will never ask for your details or to transfer money. We will never ask you to download software or login via a link sent through email or SMS.

If you are speaking to someone claiming to be from Bendigo Bank and you are unsure if the caller is legitimate, hang up and contact us directly on 1300 236 344.

20 million dollars was lost to bank impersonation scams in Australia in 2022. Here’s what you need to know.

A bank impersonation scam involves emails, texts or phone calls claiming to be from your bank. These scams attempt to capture your personal or financial data.

Here are three important warning signs that an email, text or phone call from your bank isn’t legitimate.

1. Urgency or threats - scammers will attempt to get you to act quickly by demanding urgent action or using strong language to instil fear.

2. Tone or wording - even if a message appears in the same thread as genuine messages from your bank, unusual tone, wording or spelling errors can indicate a scam.

3. Links to update your details - never click links in text messages or emails claiming to be from your bank if it’s a request to update your information. Bendigo Bank will never ask for your details or to transfer money. We will never ask you to download software or login via a link sent through email or SMS.

If you are speaking to someone claiming to be from Bendigo Bank and you are unsure if the caller is legitimate, hang up and contact us directly on 1300 236 344.

Bendigo Bank e-banking has a number of tools available to help safeguard and protect your accounts against fraud and scams.

Monitor transactions and balances
With 24/7 access to your accounts online, you don't have to wait for paper bank statements. Make sure you regularly check your transaction history for any suspicious activity.

Utilise card controls
We offer a comprehensive set of card controls to protect your debit or credit card.

You can change settings to permit or prevent ATM, contactless, in-store, and online transactions, both domestically and internationally. You can also restrict transactions from specific merchant categories such as gambling.

You can change these controls as often as needed for added security.

Act quickly for lost or stolen cards

If your card is lost or stolen, take swift action to protect yourself.

You can temporarily block a misplaced card in e-banking to prevent unauthorised use, then simply unblock the card if you find it again.

You can report your card as lost or stolen in e-banking and we'll cancel the card and issue a new one,  which should arrive in 5-10 business days.

Set Pay anyone limits

You can adjust your Pay anyone daily limits to control the amount you can transfer and protect your account.

This allows you to set your desired daily limit and adjust your limit as needed for added flexibility.

Log onto e-banking from your secure app or at www.bendigobank.com.au

How to recognise a bank impersonation scam
20 million dollars was lost to bank impersonation scams in Australia in 2022. Here’s what you need to know.

A bank impersonation scam involves emails, texts or phone calls claiming to be from your bank. These scams attempt to capture your personal or financial data.

Here are three important warning signs that an email, text or phone call from your bank isn’t legitimate.

1. Urgency or threats - scammers will attempt to get you to act quickly by demanding urgent action or using strong language to instil fear.

2. Tone or wording - even if a message appears in the same thread as genuine messages from your bank, unusual tone, wording or spelling errors can indicate a scam.

3. Links to update your details - never click links in text messages or emails claiming to be from your bank if it’s a request to update your information. Bendigo Bank will never ask for your details or to transfer money. We will never ask you to download software or login via a link sent through email or SMS.

If you are speaking to someone claiming to be from Bendigo Bank and you are unsure if the caller is legitimate, hang up and contact us directly on 1300 236 344.

Could being a victim of a scam actually be a criminal offence?

If you’re ever offered a commission or payment in exchange for receiving money and are asked to transfer it to someone else, you could be being targeted as a money mule.

A money mule is an someone that receives illegally obtained funds and transfers them onto a different account. The purpose of these transactions is to launder money from illegal activity like scams or fraud.

Acting as a money mule is illegal. Even if you’re not aware of the illegal activity that the funds relate to, you can still risk being convicted of a criminal offence.

Look out for these warning signs to avoid becoming a money mule:

Job offers that promise easy money and sound too good to be true.
Any request to open an account to make transfers on someone else’s behalf – even if you think you’re being asked by a friend or family member.
Any offer of payment or commission for receiving and transferring funds.
Any requests for access to your banking details.

Help stop scammers in their tracks by following ScamWatch’s advice:

STOP – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure.
THINK – Ask yourself could the message or call be fake?
PROTECT – Act quickly if something feels wrong and visit www.bendigobank.com.au/security for support.