A regional bank has urged customers to be vigilant of all scam types and to always pause and consider any request to remotely access their personal computer, phone, or device.

In remote access scams, criminals make unsolicited contact with victims, usually by text, phone, or email. They impersonate a legitimate company or government agency, such as a telco, bank or software provider, to gain remote access to a customer’s device for a fictitious reason, such as to fix a technical issue or to prevent their account from being hacked.

ANZ Regional Executive Pacific, Sarah Stubbings, said: “Scammers play on people’s fears that their finances or security are in danger. They may instruct the customer to download apps or software to allow access to their bank account or persuade the customer to transfer funds from their account to ‘ensure the account is in working order’.

“Be skeptical of any unsolicited contact, particularly if it is accompanied by a request to download an app, gain remote access to your device or provide your banking details. If you’re ever unsure, end the conversation immediately and instead contact the organisation through one of the ways they advertise on their website.”

How to spot a remote access scam:

Unsolicited contact: Be wary of any unexpected contact, claiming to have detected issues on your device or with your bank account.

A sense of urgency: Scammers want you to act quickly and may claim an issue requires immediate resolution. Genuine tech support or financial or government institutions will always include identity and security checks and you should always be able to ring them back on a number you’ve independently sourced from the organisation’s website.

Unconventional payment requests: Be suspicious if a technician asks you to buy software or sign up for a service to fix your computer, or a bank or government agent tells you they’re putting funds into your account to help ‘catch a hacker’. Be suspicious of any requests to transfer funds they say they’ve credited to your account. Legitimate companies or government agents will not ask you to do this.

Request access to your banking: While the scammer is using your device remotely, they might ask you to log into your online banking so they can make a test payment or refund. Genuine companies will never ask you to do this.

Be aware of unexpected One-Time Passwords (OTPs): If you see passcodes being sent to your mobile phone or device by your bank when you are not making or authorising anyone else to make transactions from your account, hang up the phone, delete any app or software you have been asked to download and contact your bank immediately.