Egidio
After a Scam · Australia · Concrete Steps

You've been scammed. Here's exactly what to do, in order.

No reassurance, no general tips — just the order, the numbers, and the forms you actually need right now. Verify first, everything else after.

Didn't lose any money, but it was close? This page is still for you: reporting the number helps get it blocked for everyone else, even without financial loss.

The order, step by step

  1. Verify or block — before anything else.

    If you're unsure whether a call claiming to be your bank is real, hang up and call your bank's official fraud number — the one printed on the back of your card, never one given to you by the caller. Unlike some countries, Australia doesn't have a single unified verification hotline: each major bank runs its own dedicated fraud line.

    Back-of-card number — every major Australian bank runs a 24/7 fraud line
  2. Forward the scam text to 0429 999 888.

    This is the ACMA's national spam SMS reporting number — forwarding a message here helps flag the sender across the network. Telstra customers can also forward suspicious texts to 7226 for Telstra-specific review and filtering.

    0429 999 888 — ACMA spam SMS reporting, standard message rates apply
  3. Report it to Scamwatch.

    Run by the ACCC's National Anti-Scam Centre, Scamwatch is Australia's central scam-reporting service. Report online with screenshots, the message content, and any transaction details you have.

    scamwatch.gov.au — online reporting
  4. If money was involved, report to ReportCyber too.

    ReportCyber is the national policing referral service for cybercrime, including scams that resulted in a financial loss — reporting here can trigger a police referral where appropriate.

    cyber.gov.au/report — ReportCyber
Sources: Scamwatch, report a scam (scamwatch.gov.au) · ACMA, dealing with spam (acma.gov.au) · ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au/report).

Will my bank refund me?

It depends on the type of transaction. For an unauthorised transaction (someone acted without your knowledge), your bank must generally investigate and can refund you. For a scam where you were tricked into authorising the transfer yourself — for example after a "bank employee" call — there is no fixed statutory guarantee yet: Australia's Scams Prevention Framework Act 2025 is being phased in, with AFCA gaining general scam-complaint jurisdiction from 1 July 2026 and full compliance obligations for banks landing on 31 March 2027. Until then, reimbursement is decided case-by-case. See our full breakdown of what's covered today and what's still coming. Reporting still matters either way — it's what gets the number and the pattern documented, refund or not.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What's the first thing I should do if I've just been scammed?

If money, a card, or bank access is involved: call your bank's official fraud line straight away — the number on the back of your card, never a number given to you by the caller. Australia doesn't have a single unified bank-verification hotline like some other countries; each major bank runs its own 24/7 fraud team.

How do I report a scam call or text in Australia?

Forward the scam text free of charge to 0429 999 888, the ACMA's national spam SMS reporting number. Telstra customers can also forward suspicious texts to 7226. To report a scam more broadly, use Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.

Is there an Australian equivalent to the UK's 159 bank-verification hotline?

No. Australia does not currently have a single, unified number that connects you safely to any bank. Each major bank has its own dedicated fraud hotline — call the number printed on the back of your card.

Will my bank refund me?

For an unauthorised transaction, your bank must generally investigate and can refund you. For a scam you authorised yourself, there's no fixed statutory guarantee yet in Australia — it's decided case-by-case, with AFCA as the free escalation route.

If this page was for a parent, not for you

If you're here because a parent or loved one was targeted, not you: this exact pattern — a call, time pressure, bank details — can be flagged before money moves. Egidio's Family mode protects up to 4 people under one subscription, each on their own device, with no one reading anyone else's messages.

See family protection

So it doesn't happen again

Egidio recognises the patterns that precede this kind of scam — suspicious texts, spoofed senders, high-pressure situations — before you react. All analysis happens entirely on your Android device, with no message content ever transmitted.

Install Egidio free