Latest security alerts

NAB is aware that Australians are currently being targeted with investment scams promising lucrative returns, some of which are impersonating NAB.

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 fraudster will claim the investment is low-risk 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 receive an unsolicited offer to make an investment, do not respond. Immediately report it to Scamwatch. If it’s NAB-branded, also report it to NAB.

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

We’re aware of a current SMS phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The message claims to be from NAB stating that your account has been blocked and to lift the restriction by clicking on a link to ‘re-verify your account’. This leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal and banking information.

Do not click on the link. NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

If you have received this type of text message, please forward it to 0476 220 003 (047 NAB 0003) or take a screenshot, email it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the text message.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

We’re aware of a current email phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The email claims to be from “NAB Online” stating that your account has been placed on review and will be locked if you don’t verify your information.

It asks you to click on a link to verify your account, which leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal information and banking credentials.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

When sending phishing emails, criminals sometimes set the sender’s name as “NAB”, meaning that fraudulent email can appear with the display name as “NAB” despite not being from an official NAB email address. This is not a sign that NAB systems have been breached in any way– it simply means a criminal is impersonating our brand.

If you have received this type of email, please forward it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the email.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

We’re aware of a current SMS phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The message claims to be from NAB stating an unrecognised device has logged into your account. It asks you to click on a link to verify your account if this was not you. This leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal and banking information.

Do not click on the link. NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

If you have received this type of text message, please forward it to 0476 220 003 (047 NAB 0003) or take a screenshot, email it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the text message.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

We’re aware of a current email phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The email claims to be from NAB stating your account has been disabled.

It asks you to click on a link to verify your account, which leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal information and banking credentials.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

When sending phishing emails, criminals sometimes set the sender’s name as “NAB”, meaning that fraudulent email can appear with the display name as “NAB” despite not being from an official NAB email address. This is not a sign that NAB systems have been breached in any way– it simply means a criminal is impersonating our brand.

If you have received this type of email, please forward it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the email.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

Please be aware the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued an advisory regarding increased risk of cyber threats, including ransomware attacks, globally.

Businesses are advised to review to ensure they have active and effective cyber security controls in place. The ACSC strongly recommends implementing the ‘Essential Eight’ strategies to mitigate cyber security incidents, which can help protect systems from compromise.

For more information including specific Indicators of Compromise, please refer to the ACSC advisory.

We’re aware of a current SMS phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The message claims to be from NAB stating you have successfully scheduled a payment. It asks you to click on a link if this wasn’t you to cancel the transaction, which leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal information and banking credentials.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

When sending phishing text messages, criminals sometimes set the sender name as “NAB”, meaning that fraudulent text messages can appear in the same conversation as legitimate messages from NAB. This is not a sign that NAB systems have been breached in any way– it simply means a criminal is impersonating our brand.

If you have received this type of text message, please forward it to 0476 220 003 (047 NAB 0003) or take a screenshot, email it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the text message.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

NAB is aware of malicious software circulating targeting Android devices. It uses applications in the Google Play store to distribute malware, that look like device protection guards, history cleaners, and multi-factor authenticators. These apps have remote access and screen share capabilities.

Two indicators your device may be infected are apps that ask for a high level of permissions, or that you notice are projecting your screen (seen on the “Notification Panel”). Please see an example below.

The app may provide pop ups requesting you to authenticate it and is known to leverage card details and use them for online purchases or bank transfers.

If you have any unusual apps on your device, or notice anything unusual on your Internet Banking or NAB Connect:

• Run software checks and delete any unrecognised apps.
• Contact NAB if you think there is fraudulent transactions by calling NAB on 13 22 65 (Internet Banking) or 1300 888 413 (NAB Connect) and advise your phone may be infected with malicious software.
• NAB will assist you to remove the malicious software from your device and confirm your recent payments to ensure they are valid.

To help protect your device against malicious software, keep software on your phone up to date, including the latest anti-virus and security updates. Take advantage of NAB’s anti-virus offers for customers: ‘Anti-virus offer for customers’.

Learn more about adding extra security to your account by using a security token, dual authorisation and segregation of duties: ‘Security for NAB Connect Customers’.

Please report suspicious messages to phish@nab.com.au.

We’re aware of a current email phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The email claims to be from NAB stating your debit card has been temporarily blocked. It asks you to click on a link to confirm your details, which leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal information and banking credentials.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

When sending phishing emails, criminals sometimes set the sender’s name as “NAB”, meaning that fraudulent email can appear with the display name as “NAB” despite not being from an official NAB email address. This is not a sign that NAB systems have been breached in any way– it simply means a criminal is impersonating our brand.

If you have received this type of email, please forward it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the email.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

We’re aware of a current SMS phishing campaign targeting Australians. Please see an example below.

The message claims to be from the Department of Health Services stating that you are eligible for a COVID-19 disaster relief payment. It asks you to click on a link that leads to a fake Services Australia website asking for personal information and banking details.

Do not click the link.

Organisations including NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

When sending phishing text messages, criminals sometimes set the sender name as “NAB” or other organisations, meaning that fraudulent text messages can appear in the same conversation as legitimate messages from NAB. This is not a sign that NAB systems have been breached in any way– it simply means a criminal is impersonating our brand.

If you have received this type of text message, please forward it to 0476 220 003 (047 NAB 0003) or take a screenshot, email it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the text message.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

We’re aware of a current SMS phishing campaign targeting NAB customers. Please see an example below.

The message claims to be from NAB stating you have been sent a one-time passcode. It asks you to click on a link if this wasn’t you to cancel the transaction, which leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal information and banking credentials.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

When sending phishing text messages, criminals sometimes set the sender name as “NAB”, meaning that fraudulent text messages can appear in the same conversation as legitimate messages from NAB. This is not a sign that NAB systems have been breached in any way– it simply means a criminal is impersonating our brand.

If you have received this type of text message, please forward it to 0476 220 003 (047 NAB 0003) or take a screenshot, email it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete the text message.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

Please be aware the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued an advisory regarding a critical remote code execution vulnerability affecting Apache’s Log4j2 library, a popular Java-based logging utility.

Due to its widespread use, a number of third party apps may also be vulnerable from this threat.

Any organisations using this tool are recommended to immediately apply the patches released by Apache and other vendors using Log4j2.

For more information, please refer to the  ACSC advisory.

NAB is aware of current scam phone calls targeting Australians.

You may receive a call where the caller pretends to be from organisations like your bank, Telstra, NBN, Microsoft, Amazon, ATO or the police, or receive a text message asking you to call your bank due to security concerns. Once on the call, the caller may request remote access to your computer and bank accounts, or ask you to provide personal or banking information.

Below is an example of a text message stating there is a problem with a credit card, asking the recipient to call the number to protect their accounts. This leads to a scam call.

Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer or online bank accounts, or provide personal or banking information.

Ensure you read any SMS codes sent to you in full. If it states “Your NAB secret code is xxxxx. Do not provide this to anyone, even NAB”, do not disclose this code to anyone.

If you ever have concerns as to the legitimacy of a call, hang up and call the company back on a publicly available number (e.g. NAB’s number is available on the back of your card).

If you have provided information on this type of call, please contact your local branch or 13 22 65 immediately.

For more information on scam calls, read our article 'How to spot scam phone calls'.

NAB is aware of a current anti-virus themed phishing campaign targeting customers. These emails may appear to come from companies including McAfee, Norton, and NAB. Please see an example below.

The message claims that your anti-virus software has expired, and asks you to click on a link to renew the software. This leads to a fake website asking for personal information.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

If you have received this type of email, forward it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete it. If you have received this type of email and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

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 Purchasing scams 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 criminals targeting businesses by stealing their physical merchant terminal and replacing it with a fake or disabled terminal.

Being alert to fraudulent payment activity can reduce the chances of your business falling victim to scams and suffering costly chargebacks and other financial losses. Here are some simple tips you can follow:

• Educate all front-line staff about fraud risks associated with your payment terminal and payment scams in general.
• Keep payment terminals behind the counter or on the person of your employees. Don’t allow customers to edit or manually enter transactions.
• Set a strong terminal password and activate the lock feature when the terminal is unattended. That way if the terminal is stolen, no transactions can be processed by a third party.
• Keep a list of the terminals you have onsite, including their make, model and serial number. Do a daily check to confirm that the data matches.
• Do a physical check at the terminal, to see if there are any changes or if there’s any evidence of tampering.

You can read the full article on fraud risks for more information.

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

NAB is aware of current phishing email campaigns targeting customers. Please see examples below.

The emails claim to be a message from NAB requesting you to verify your account details. This leads to a fake NAB website asking for personal information and banking credentials.

Do not click on the link.

NAB will never ask you to confirm, update or disclose personal or banking information via a link in an email or text message.

If you receive this type of email or text message, please forward it to phish@nab.com.au and then delete it.

If you have received this type of email or text message and have clicked on the link or entered your details, please contact your local branch or call 13 22 65 immediately.

NAB is aware of invoice scam attempts targeting Australian businesses.

An invoice scam is when a business receives an emailed invoice from a supplier whose email account has been compromised by a criminal. The criminal will alter the payment details on the invoice to a fraudulent or mule account. As the invoice looks legitimate, the business doesn’t question the payment details, and sends the payment to the fraudulent account.

Another variation of an invoice scam is when a business receives a request advising a supplier’s or employee’s payment details have changed, and to make payments to a new account.

Before processing invoices, check the payment details against the last invoice. If they have changed, or you receive a request to update payment details:

• Do not proceed with the transaction(s), and
• Call the supplier/sender to confirm the legitimacy of the request, using a known contact or publicly listed number. Do not call the number on the new invoice/email.

If you have received an email of this type and actioned the request, please contact NAB on 13 22 65 and ask for the Anti-Scam Investigations Team.

Whilst the bank will make every effort to recall funds, recovery is not guaranteed.

Speak to your banker about adding extra security to your account by using a security token, dual authorisation and segregation of duties: ‘Security for NAB Connect Customers’.

To learn more about protecting your business from invoice scams, read this article and visit nab.com.au/security.

NAB is aware of mobile phone porting attempts targeting Australians.

What is mobile phone porting?
Mobile phone porting describes when your mobile phone number is ported (transferred) to a new telecommunications provider without your permission. This may enable criminals to receive SMS authentication codes sent by your bank, in order to authorise online banking transfers without your knowledge.

How does it occur?
In some cases, all that is required to port a phone number is an account or phone number, and date of birth.

What to look for
If your mobile phone service is suddenly disconnected, it may show ‘SOS only' where the carrier name usually appears on the screen. This could be a warning sign that your mobile phone has been transferred to another provider without your authorisation. If your service does not return in a short period, contact your mobile provider immediately to confirm why your mobile service is not working.

If your mobile has been transferred to another provider without your permission, please contact us on 1300 651 656.

You can learn more by reading our mobile phone porting article.

NAB is aware that scammers are attempting to trick individuals and business customers into accepting and on-forwarding fraudulent funds by criminals who are posing as genuine customers. For example, the scammer may send fraudulent funds to someone who is told it is a legitimate payment or received by mistake; the customer is asked by the scammer to on-send those funds to another account. Customers who accept and onforward these payments are acting as money mules and may be facilitating money laundering, which is a criminal offence.

Only accept payments for your products or services: NAB recommends to never accept payments that need to be forwarded to a third party. Businesses should only accept payments for services or products you supply, and are expecting to receive.

Know your customers: Have a process in place to be able to identify your customers and fully understand the nature of the transactions they are looking to participate in.

Only obtain finance from legitimate sources: It may be tempting to look for lenders with low rates or easy application processes, but make sure that any finance agreements are with accredited financial institutions.

Stop and Think: If something doesn’t seem right about a customer’s request, do some research and ask questions until you are satisfied that the transactions is genuine. You can reserve the right not to proceed with a customer’s request.

More information on business’ obligations can be found here: http://www.austrac.gov.au/businesses

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'.

Fraudulent SMS messages 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 SMS asking for your password or send you a link to login to Internet Banking.

Don't respond to any SMS 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 SMS phishing, read 'Spam and Phishing messages'.

Online

• Use SMS security - Even if your ID and password fall into the wrong hands, funds can't be transferred without your approval. Register via NAB Internet Banking or contact us on 1300 651 656 for further information.
• When using SMS Security, always confirm the details within the SMS are correct before proceeding with the transaction. If anything looks suspicious or if you're concerned, don't proceed. Call 1300 651 656 for assistance.
• When transferring funds or paying a bill, always confirm the details you've entered are correct before completing the transaction.
• Keep your computer's operating system up to date by ensuring that automatic updates are switched on. Install any updates when they become available.
• We strongly recommend that all computers and devices have up-to-date anti-virus software. Visit nab.com.au/software to take advantage of NAB's anti-virus offers for customers.
• Always type www.nab.com.au into your browser's address bar when accessing the NAB website.
• Pause and think when receiving an message or viewing a website that looks suspicious. If you are concerned, don't provide any personal or banking information.

Over the phone

• If you're unsure whether a telephone call has come from us, ask the operator if you can call them back and request their name / team extension number. Then call back on 13 22 65 and ask to be put through to them.

For more security advice visit nab.com.au/security.