Latest security alerts

NAB is aware of purchasing scams targeting Australian consumers, with scammers active on both the buying and selling sides of transactions. These scams take place on the common platforms used by people to buy and sell goods and services, such as eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Carsales.

If you’re selling an item, a scammer may send you a fake or altered receipt claiming they have transferred funds into your account. After you send or hand over the item, they will cease communication without having paid you.

If you’re purchasing an item, a scammer posing as a legitimate seller may post an item for sale which appears to be a good deal. They may put up an advertisement that is fake, or sell items that aren’t rightfully theirs. When you start communicating with them, they may send you pictures of the item which appear to be legitimate. However, these images are often stolen from the Internet or from other legitimate advertisements. Once you pay them, the seller will stop communicating and you won’t receive the item.

Tips to avoid a purchasing scam

Be cautious of buyers and sellers asking for identification documents such as your driver’s license, passport and Medicare card number. Never provide these to someone you don’t know, as it may be used to commit identity fraud.

If you’re purchasing an item, try to meet the buyer in person where possible. If this is not possible, ask them to video call you so you can inspect the item more closely. Conduct a ‘reverse image search’ for the photos of the item you’re buying- you may find the picture of the item already exists on a legitimate ad, or other fake ones.

If you’re selling an item, wait for the funds to arrive in your bank account before you hand over the goods, or accept cash at handover. Don’t rely on receipts provided as they may have been altered.

Read our online shopping article for more information on staying safe while shopping online, or visit the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch website.

If you are a NAB customer and believe you may have fallen victim to a scam, please call 13 22 65 immediately and ask for the Digital Fraud and Scams Team.

NAB is aware of current scam phone calls targeting Australians. The caller may claim to be from an organisation that can assist you to get early access to your superannuation. The caller may ask for your personal and superannuation details.

In another example, the caller may claim to be from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The caller may request credit card details for a testing kit. Please be aware that this is not a legitimate call from the DHHS, and contact tracers will not request payment.

If you ever have any concerns as to the legitimacy of a call, hang up and call the company back on a publicly listed number.

If you have received this type of call and have provided information about your superannuation, please contact your super fund immediately. If you have provided personal or banking details, please also contact NAB on 13 22 65.

If you receive a text message saying your superannuation fund is going to release your super, and you did not request this, contact your superannuation fund immediately.

You can also visit the Scamwatch website for more information about other COVID-19 related scams.

For more information on NAB’s response to Coronavirus, visit nab.com.au/coronavirus.

NAB is aware that Australians are being targeted with investment scams promising lucrative returns. In 2019, Australians reported to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) a loss of $61 million from investment scams.

The ACCC advises that these fake investment companies are proactively contacting Australians online or by phone, and claiming to be stock brokers offering investment advice, promotions, and hot tips or offering free investment seminars.

The ACCC advises the fraudster will claim what they are offering is low-risk, and will provide you with quick and high returns, or encourage you to invest in overseas companies. The offer may sound very legitimate, with resources to back up their claims. They may say you need to act quickly and invest, or you will miss out.

Before transferring any money to an investment company, check the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) list of companies that you should not deal with. You can learn more about investment scams on the ACCC’s Scamwatch website, and by reading our investment scams article.

If you believe that you have paid money to an investment scam, please contact NAB immediately on 13 22 65.

Fraudulent emails that appear to be from us or other legitimate businesses may attempt to trick you into providing personal information such as your mobile phone number, NAB ID, Internet or Telephone Banking password, credit card details, etc. NAB will never send you an email asking for your password or send you a link to login to Internet Banking.

Don't respond to any email requests for this information and don’t click on any links within these emails, even if they appear to have come from us. We'll never ask you to disclose your details in this way.

For more information on phishing messages, read 'Spam and Phishing messages'.