Guide
Is this message a scam? Check it in 60 seconds
Scam texts are written to make you act before you think. The checklist takes away the hurry.
Updated 9 July 20266 min readBy AngusPart of Online safety tips
If you are staring at a text or email wondering is this message a scam, the safest starting position is simple: it might be. Scam messages in Australia impersonate banks, toll roads, Australia Post, myGov, the ATO and even your own family, and the good ones look very convincing on a phone screen.
You do not need to be able to spot fakes on sight. You need a routine. Run any suspicious message through the four checks below, in order, and do not tap anything in the message while you do.
1. The pressure test: how does it want you to feel?
Scam messages are built on urgency and emotion. A toll unpaid and a fine doubling today, a parcel about to be returned, an account about to be suspended, a family member in trouble needing money now. Real organisations almost never demand action within hours by text.
- Ask yourself: is this message trying to rush or frighten me?
- If yes, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise. Urgency is the tell, not the topic.
2. The link test: look, do not tap
Most scam messages exist to get one tap on one link. On a phone you can usually press and hold a link to preview the address without opening it. Read the actual domain carefully, the part before the first single slash.
- Press and hold the link to preview it. Do not tap it.
- Look for lookalikes: swapped letters, extra words, odd endings like .top or .info where you would expect .com.au or .gov.au.
- If the message claims to be a big organisation but the link is a random or shortened address, you are done. It is a scam.
Good to know
- A padlock or https in a link proves nothing. Scam pages have padlocks too.
3. The sender test: who is it really from?
Sender details can be faked, so a familiar name proves little, but the details still catch a lot of scams. An email claiming to be your bank sent from a free webmail address, a text from a random mobile number claiming to be a government agency, or a message that gets your name wrong are all strong signs.
Be aware that scammers can sometimes make a text appear in the same thread as real messages from a bank or telco, so thread position alone is not proof either way. Judge the message, not the thread.
4. The independent check: go to the source yourself
This is the check that settles it. Never use the contact details or links inside the message. Open the organisation's real app, type its website address yourself, or call the number on the back of your card or a past bill. Ask if the message is real. Real organisations are used to this question and will tell you straight away.
Good to know
- For family messages asking for money from a new number, call the old number you have saved, or ask a question only the real person could answer.
What to do with a scam message
Do not reply, even to say stop, because a reply confirms your number is live. Report the message to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, and forward scam texts to your carrier where supported. Then delete it. If you already tapped the link or entered any details, act now rather than waiting: our guide on what to do if you have been scammed walks through it step by step.