Source : Perth Now news
It seemed like an innocent enough request – an elderly woman wanting to withdraw enough cash to buy a car. But when she couldn’t name what make or model she was buying, alarm bells started ringing.
The woman had walked into her local ANZ branch in South Australia where she encountered teller Vicki.
“Straight away, something didn’t feel right,” Vicki told NewsWire.
“She just kept repeating that she needed the money ‘today’, and you could tell she was confused and quite worried.
“We slowed things down and kept talking with her, and eventually it became clear what was going on.
“A scammer had convinced her that the bank was going to take all her money, and the only way to keep it safe was to withdraw it. The ‘buying a car’ story had been given to her so she’d have an answer ready if anyone questioned it.”
In the end, the woman did not empty her own account.
“She was quite elderly and clearly anxious. It was more obvious that something wasn’t adding up,” Vicki said.
“Other times, it’s far more challenging, because the customer has followed a rehearsed story step-by-step, and they are far more convinced or entrenched in the scam.”
The latest Australian Financial Complaints Authority figures show scam complaints rose 12 per cent this past financial year but fell 38 per cent from the peak two years ago.
But the complaints authority only handles the scam cases that victims could not sort out directly with their bank, insurer or credit provider.
ANZ staff say more customers are being coached by scammers with scripts, cover stories and instructions about what to say when bank staff ask probing questions about unusual transactions.
And major cybersecurity firm Fortinet is calling for a cyber safety ratings system on Australian-sold products, businesses and organisations selling or providing everything from healthcare to SIM cards to electricity.
Vicki said the amount of people being actively coached by scammers was increasing.
“They know exactly what to say to get through security checks or to explain a transaction, even if the story doesn’t quite add up,” she said.
“Some customers even walk into our branches with headphones in or their phone tucked into a pocket, receiving real‑time instructions on exactly what to say … to guide them through the in-branch interaction. That’s been a noticeable shift.”
Over Vicki’s 15 years in banking, scams have advanced from dodgy looking misspelled emails or physical letters promising someone has won a windfall. Now the forgeries look like legitimate bank, government or telco correspondence.
“The ones that really stand out are when customers genuinely believe they’re doing the right thing, but they’re being guided by a scammer,” Vicki said.
“We’ve had customers come in convinced they’re protecting their money – like they’ve been told their account is at risk and they need to move it urgently or they’ll lose everything.”
“Skilled manipulators over the phone often coach victims to rebuff questions from bank staff, applying pressure by saying things like “the bank doesn’t want you to make money with
crypto”, ANZ scams portfolio lead Ben Verhoef said.
These coached answers are often still repeated after the bank’s fraud detection system has flagged the transaction.
“Our questions can feel intrusive, and delays can be frustrating, but being honest with us is important – we’re trying to protect customers from losing money,” Mr Verhoef said.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission figures show $2.18bn was reported lost to scammers in 2025, up about 8 per cent from the year before but down from the $3.1bn peak in 2022.
Investment scams claim the bulk of these losses, followed by payment redirection scams and romance grifts.
People aged over 65 make up about 17 per cent of the population but 26.5 per cent of overall losses.
Statistically, people aged 35-44 are most likely to be scammed for a financial loss, but the over 65s have the highest median loss of any age group.
Major hacks in recent years highlighted the need for such a ratings system, Fortinet Asia Pacific director of operational technology Michael Murphy said.
“The common thread is that customers often only learn about an organisation’s cyber security after something has gone wrong,’ he said.
“A cyber security ratings system would help shift that conversation from reacting to incidents to providing greater transparency before an incident occurs … giving customers more confidence in the services they use.”
Key metrics for a ratings system could be an organisation’s use or lack of two-factor authentication, whether high-risk operations are subcontracted out and foreign data centres and call centres.
Energy, telco, banking, healthcare and critical infrastructure organisations that rely on public trust should welcome such a system, Mr Murphy said.
“Ratings systems in other areas, such as Amazon, eBay, and Uber, provide incentive for companies and sellers to improve quality. It is highly likely that some organisations may not appreciate the concept,” he said.
“However, a ratings system would make high levels of cyber hygiene a competitive advantage at best and, at worst, enable informed, risk-based decisions for buyers of products and services.”
There are legislative, voluntary and industry-led models an Australian rating system could follow, Mr Murphy said.
“Australia already has an important regulatory framework that sets minimum expectations for protecting data, and regulators play a critical role. However, regulation establishes a baseline,” he said.
“A cyber security ratings system would complement that by increasing transparency and creating positive market incentives for organisations to go beyond minimum compliance and continually improve their cyber resilience.”
