Frauds and scams
Watch out for scams involving phone calls or emails from people pretending to be AUSTRAC staff. They usually demand payment or personal information and sometimes threaten imprisonment. Emails can feature the AUSTRAC logo in an attempt to appear legitimate.
Signs of a scam
There are certain things AUSTRAC will never do. You should be suspicious of a call or email that:
- asks you to pay a fee or tax to authorise release of funds to your bank account
- asks you for documentation regarding imported goods
- tells you we have intercepted your package at the border
- tells you that you’ve won a lottery
- threatens you with arrest if you don’t pay a penalty
- asks you to pay penalty fees by money transfer
- tells you we are freezing accounts or transactions
- says you can avoid prosecution by paying penalties.
If the phone call or email does any of these things, you can be sure it hasn’t come from us.
If you want to check whether a call is legitimate, contact AUSTRAC.
What to do if you receive a scam call or letter
If you receive a scam call or email, don’t engage with the scammer. Do not:
- phone them back
- reply to the email
- click any links
- download any files.
Report it
- Report the incident to Scamwatch or your local police.
- For online or email scams, contact Report | Cyber.gov.au.
This guidance sets out how we interpret the Act, along with associated Rules and regulations. Australian courts are ultimately responsible for interpreting these laws and determining if any provisions of these laws are contravened.
The examples and scenarios in this guidance are meant to help explain our interpretation of these laws. They’re not exhaustive or meant to cover every possible scenario.
This guidance provides general information and isn't a substitute for legal advice. This guidance avoids legal language wherever possible and it might include generalisations about the application of the law. Some provisions of the law referred to have exceptions or important qualifications. In most cases your particular circumstances must be taken into account when determining how the law applies to you.