Back to: Privacy & Security

 

Please familiarise yourself with these current scams that have targeted Internet Banking and Telephone Banking customers.

Hoax Emails
We will always try to keep you informed about hoax email scams targeting Westpac, but there are other hoax emails that are just as dangerous.

Be wary of emails that claim you have received a postcard or virtual postcard – a number of these emails have contained a Trojan Virus. Please exercise caution when viewing an email from an unknown source.

Telephone Banking
Recently we have witnessed an increase in hoax phone calls to customers. The callers claim to be bank employees and ask the unsuspecting customers questions about their identity (eg date of birth or expiry date on your credit card).
Be particularly vigilant to these types of scams if you have lost your wallet, or have been the victim of a break-in.

If you have reason to doubt the validity of a caller, ask for their name and phone number to call them back and check the number against the Westpac telephone directory.

Keystroke loggers
Some Trojan viruses contain software that can capture user's keystrokes and send them back to the fraudsters. You can be affected by a Keystroke logger either by clicking on a link in an email or just by surfing the web.

The following will help to combat Keystroke loggers:

Having up to date security software

Downloading operating system updates

You should also be aware of hoax emails, as they may contain Trojan viruses.

Fake job advertisements
Sometimes called "Mule recruiting" – is a rapidly growing scam. Fraudsters advertise on the internet, in chat rooms or by email, enticing individuals to become money transfer agents. Individuals who participate in this type of activity are assisting the fraudsters by moving money (money laundering). Be wary of this type of scam – if the job advertisement looks too good to be true, then it usually is.