Phone scams cause bigger individual losses than most others: Australians reported A$107.2M lost to phone scams in 2024, with a median loss of A$3,900 (NASC). In the US, phone calls were the second most reported contact method for fraud in 2024 (FTC).
7 checks
- Don’t trust caller ID. Numbers can be spoofed, even to show your bank’s real number.
- Hang up and call back on a number you find yourself (on your card, statement or the official website).
- Bank “fraud team” asking you to move money, share a code or install an app? It’s a scam.
- Tax office (ATO, IRS, HMRC, IRD) threatening arrest or demanding gift cards or crypto? It’s a scam.
- “Hi Mum, new number” text? Call your child on their old number first.
- One ring from an unknown international number? Don’t call back: it may be a premium-rate Wangiri scam (FCC).
- Urgency and secrecy (“stay on the line”, “don’t tell your bank”) are the biggest red flags.
Check the number
Use our free scam phone checker to see the number’s country and type and whether other users reported it.
Report it
- Australia: Scamwatch
- US: FTC
- UK: Action Fraud; forward scam texts to 7726
- NZ: Netsafe; forward scam texts to 7726
If you’ve paid or shared bank details, call your bank straight away.
Not sure about someone?
Take the free 10-question red-flag check, or get an AI-powered Romance Scam Check for US$29.
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General information only, not legal or financial advice. ImposterWatch is operated by Cloud Investments FZE (UAE) and is not a background check or private investigator service.