You are holding a request to pay: an unexpected invoice, a phone call from someone claiming to be a government officer, a text about a parcel, or a message saying money or assets are waiting for you if you pay a fee first. Your task is not to decide in the moment. It is to decide after you have verified the request through a channel you control, using what official Australian sources say about how these scams work.
This guide is based on guidance from AUSTRAC and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), published through cyber.gov.au. It sets out the checks, explains how to interpret them, and lists what you should verify yourself. It is general information, not advice about your specific situation, and it does not promise that money can be recovered.
What the official sources actually say
Two Australian sources cover most payment-request scams.
AUSTRAC warns Australians to beware of scam calls and emails from people impersonating AUSTRAC staff and asking for money or threatening imprisonment or fines. AUSTRAC also describes a scam in which a person pretends to be an AUSTRAC or legal representative of a deceased relative and says you are entitled to money or valuable assets, but that you can only receive them after making an upfront payment. AUSTRAC's guidance also notes that if you want to check whether a call is legitimate, you should contact AUSTRAC — and that its public material includes checking whether you may be regulated.
The ACSC, part of the Australian Signals Directorate, publishes the "recognise and report scams" guidance on cyber.gov.au. It says to first check if it is a scam, and to check what the official source says about what details they might request from you. It states that, in Australia, you can report a scam to the National Anti-Scam Centre – Scamwatch, and that ASD's ACSC is here to help all Australians affected by cyber incidents. The Australian Cyber Security Hotline is 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
The practical meaning is consistent: do not treat the message as the source of truth. The verification step is always to leave the message and check the organisation's own published position.
The verification routine: stop, switch channel, confirm
Use this sequence before any payment.
- Stop the interaction. Do not reply, click a link, call a number in the message, or continue a conversation that is pressuring you.
- Switch to a channel you already trust. For a bank, use the number on the back of your card or the contact details inside the official banking app. For a government agency, open a browser yourself and find the contact details on its official site. For a person you know, use the phone number or email address you already had before the request arrived.
- Ask the direct question. Contact the requester through that trusted channel and ask whether the request is genuine, and what details the organisation normally asks for. Compare the answer with what the official source says they might request.
- Handle AUSTRAC claims through AUSTRAC. If someone claims to be from AUSTRAC, AUSTRAC's guidance is to contact AUSTRAC to check whether the call is legitimate — using AUSTRAC's own contact details, not those supplied by the caller.
- Decide on verification, not pressure. If you cannot confirm the request through an independent channel, do not pay.
Red flags in the request itself
| Signal in the request | What official guidance shows | Your check |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure to pay now, or threats of fines or imprisonment | AUSTRAC warns impersonators ask for money or threaten imprisonment or fines | End contact; verify using the organisation's official number; a genuine request can still be verified later |
| "Pay upfront to receive money or assets" | AUSTRAC describes this deceased-relative or legal-representative entitlement scam | Treat as a strong scam signal; verify with a lawyer or executor you contact yourself |
| Request for banking, card or identity details | cyber.gov.au advises checking what the official source says about requested details | Confirm against the organisation's published position before supplying anything |
| Contact details only inside the message | Official guidance is to check the official source, not the message | Look up the organisation independently |
| Claims that you are regulated or must comply | AUSTRAC's public material includes checking whether you may be regulated | Verify with AUSTRAC directly rather than the caller |
Urgency and unusual payment methods
Urgency is the tactic that stops verification. A request built around "act now or lose money", or one that threatens imprisonment or fines, is designed to keep you inside the conversation with the requester. The countermeasure is the same every time: move to a channel you control and confirm.
On payment method: if a request steers you toward a method the organisation has not confirmed it accepts, or one you have not used before, stop and verify that method through the official channel. This is a check you perform, not a fixed list, and you should confirm the accepted method with the organisation yourself.
If you have already paid, contact your bank or payment provider and ask what options are available. Do not assume a payment can be reversed; recovery depends on the method and the circumstances. AUSTRAC's guidance also addresses what to do if you have suffered a financial loss arising from a crime or scam.
If you have already paid or shared details
Act quickly and use official reporting points.
- Contact your bank or payment provider and tell them what happened. Ask about available options; do not assume recovery.
- Report the scam to Scamwatch, the National Anti-Scam Centre's reporting service, as cyber.gov.au directs for Australians.
- If the matter involves a cyber incident, ASD's ACSC helps Australians affected by cyber incidents, and you can call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
- If AUSTRAC was impersonated, check the contact with AUSTRAC and report it.
- Keep evidence: screenshots, sender phone numbers or email addresses, transaction references, dates and amounts.
Concrete next steps
- Pause. Do not pay or share details while the request is still pressuring you.
- Open your own browser or app and find the requester's official contact details yourself.
- Call or message through that trusted channel and ask whether the request is genuine and what details are normally requested.
- For any AUSTRAC-related call, verify with AUSTRAC using AUSTRAC's published contact details.
- If the story is "pay upfront to receive money or assets", treat it as a scam signal and verify independently before any payment.
- If you have paid or suspect a scam: contact your bank, report to Scamwatch, and for cyber incidents call 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).
- Save all records of the request and your report.
General information only
This article is general information and is not personalised legal, tax, financial, migration or credit advice. Scam tactics, reporting processes and contact details can change, so confirm current guidance with AUSTRAC and cyber.gov.au/Scamwatch. Australian Cash is an independent information publisher, not a lender, broker, government body, regulator or comparison panel. It does not approve payments, guarantee recoveries, promise savings or returns, or provide provider links. If you have lost money or believe you are at risk, contact your bank and use the official reporting services named above.