How to spot a hoax phone call, email or SMS
Look out for the following suspicious activities—they may help you spot and avoid fraud and scams.
Signs of a phishing scam
- Sender's email address or phone number doesn't match your service provider
- Your email address or phone number is different to the one on your account
- The brand or logo is slightly different to your normal service provider
- A link may seem legitimate, but it takes you to a suspicious-looking site, where the branding and design doesn't look quite right
- The message asks you to share personal information such as credit card details
Signs of a suspicious phone call
- You've been specially selected for an offer
- You're being pushed into making up your mind straight away
- Your payment details are needed over the phone
Signs of an SMS scam
- The message urges you to reply with financial or sensitive information such as your credit card or bank account details
- On first glance, it may appear to come from a trusted source but its tone, the message detail, or its timing is not quite right