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AUSTRAC said that as its role became more visible, scammers have used the legitimacy of the agency as an opportunity for scams, pressuring people through emails, phone calls, and messages into making urgent payments or disclosing personal details.
AUSTRAC said that while related businesses may receive invoices from the agency, unexpected requests for money or personal information should be treated with caution and verified directly.
“AUSTRAC does not contact members of the public unexpectedly demanding payment,” AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said.
“We take payment from reporting businesses for things like levies and infringement notices but we are never going to ask you to pay in virtual or cryptocurrencies or through social media apps, like WhatsApp or Telegram.”
Scam activity grows
The warning comes during Scam Week, with brokers also revealing sophisticated scams that have left clients tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Thomas said combining sophisticated scamming techniques with the authority of regulators could make for a dangerous mix.
“Impersonation scams are getting more and more convincing and they are designed to exploit trust in government agencies,” he said.
“Our public profile has grown and with it an uptick in scammers using our name and impersonating our staff to try and trick people into handing over money or sensitive information.
“These scams look official and often come with a false sense of urgency to pressure victims into acting quickly – that’s why it’s important to know what legitimate contact from AUSTRAC actually looks like.
“Scammers don’t just steal your money; they steal your trust. They rely on fear and urgency to override your instincts, so taking a moment to pause and verify contact can prevent significant financial loss.”
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), an estimated 3.2 million Australians, or around one in seven people, experienced personal fraud in 2024–25.
Furthermore, between January and June 2026, the National Anti-Scam Centre received 5,262 reports of bank impersonation scams, with losses of $3.25 million.
At Bankwest, phishing accounted for 52 per cent of scam cases last financial year, making it the top scam type by exposure value across all demographics and the only scam type to increase by volume year on year.
Earlier in the year, HSBC also fell foul of scammers, with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) ordering the bank to pay a $35 million penalty for its failures to protect its customers.
Lenders fight back
While scam activity has been rising in both incidence and sophistication, efforts to combat it have also intensified.
Australia New Zealand Banking Group said that despite “increased scam activity”, scam losses at the bank fell by 24 per cent compared with the same period the previous year.
During that time, ANZ also prevented and recovered more than $100 million in scam and fraud-related funds.
ASIC has warned that bank impersonation scams can come through emails, texts, or calls – often creating urgency and pressuring people to move money or share security details.
The regulator said no group or industry is safe – and gave three steps to follow:
- Stop: Don’t feel pressured to respond or share money or personal information.
- Check: Verify who you’re dealing with using contact details you find yourself.
- Protect: Report suspected scams to your bank, Cyber.gov.au, and Scamwatch.
[Related: Warning issued as bank scams grow in sophistication]
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