Protect Yourself or Your Business
Have you done all you can to protect yourself or your business against fraud and scams?
- Get familiar with our general hints and tips with Be Safe & Secure
Read our Safe & Secure (PDF 2MB) guide loaded with hints and tips so you can better safeguard yourself and your business from potential threats. - Stay up to date
Visit our latest scams page, check out the Australian Government and other partner websites and keep up to date with the latest information on scams and what you can do to protect yourself. - Take the 6 actions to protect yourself
Follow our 6 actions that you can take today to better protect yourself against fraud and scams.
General tips and tricks
- Never write down your PIN - make sure the number does not match numbers found in your wallet like your date of birth or last four digits of your phone number.
- Bring a back up card when travelling – and notify us promptly if the card has been lost or stolen.
- Destroy expired or unwanted cards – by cutting through the signature panel and magnetic strip.
- Know where your card is at all times – and never leave your card unattended in open or public locations.
- Ensure all your systems and software are up to date with the latest security patches and always use multi-factor authentication for any remote access to your system.
- Keep data safe Keep data safe by implementing a regular backup procedure to an external location.
- Educate your staff about scams targeting businesses.
- Always verbally confirm any payment requests or account changes that are delivered via email. Regardless of if the sender claims to be from a supplier or appears to be someone in your company, call them on a trusted number to verbally confirm first.
- Beware of impersonators - criminals often like to pose as well-known organisations to entice you into fulfilling their requests. Common impersonations include ASIC, the ATO, energy companies or utility companies.
Stay one step ahead of scams
Know what to look out for
Use caution when receiving phone calls or emails claiming to be from a reputable organisation and consider what they are asking for;
- Does this sound right? Would someone really ask me to do this?
- Westpac will never ask you to download software and sign-in to your banking.
If a caller is pressuring you to gain access to your accounts simply hang up and call us at 132 032 for assistance.
6 actions you can take today to protect yourself
Take the Security Wellbeing Check
Here's how it helps:
Within the Westpac App we’ve introduced the Security Wellbeing Check – a comprehensive list of features that should be updated to ensure you’re provided with additional protection.
Safeguard your devices
Here's how it helps:
McAfee™ has partnered with Westpac to offer you a 6 month free trial of its popular Multi Access program.
Westpac has also partnered with IBM® Security Trusteer Rapport™, an online fraud protection software – at no cost to you.
Register for Westpac Protect™ SMS Code
Here's how it helps:
Westpac Protect™ SMS Code provides an extra layer of protection by generating a one-time password used to authorise certain Westpac transactions and features, giving you greater peace of mind when banking online.
Update your contact details
Here's how it helps:
Keep your contact details up to date so that we can easily contact you if your account is compromised.
Regularly change passwords
Here's how it helps:
Regularly changing passwords minimises the risk if a scammer uncovers one of your old passwords. Always avoid using the same password across social media, email accounts and your banking.
Enable location services & notifications
What's your scam safety score?
Take our quiz to test your knowledge
Answer simple multiple choice questions to learn about different types of scams. It’s a classic format, and these straight-forward questions have been designed to both teach and test you.
Stay in the know
Keep up to date with the latest online and cyber security information through these Government or Not for Profit websites:
- The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)
- Australian Competition & Consumer Commission
- Australian Taxation Office: Top cyber security tips for business
- Business Victoria: Protect your business
- e-Safety Commissioner Helping Australiaians to have a more positive experience online, including tips for parents and carers, to help children and seniors, as well as e-Safety training and other resources.
- Think U Know: What young people see, say and do online
How we protect you
Safeguarding your financial and personal information is our top priority. Learn more about what we do to protect you and your business against fraudulent transactions.
Report a scam
If you receive any suspicious calls, emails or SMS messages, or notice unusual activity on your account, it’s important that you let us know.
Types of scams
Learn how you can spot different types of scams and what you can do to avoid becoming a target.
