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Update · 07:51 am AEST · 2 September 2026

Why scammers pretend to be your bank and how the con can work
Photograph: AU scams

Scammers are increasingly impersonating banks by setting up fake call centres with hold music and automated menus to trick customers into handing over account details, according to Commonwealth Bank.

Shannon Brown, CommBank's fraud and scams industry, intelligence and disruption senior manager, said callers often recite the first six digits of a card to appear legitimate, though those numbers are standard bank identification figures rather than personal data, AU scams reports.

Why scammers pretend to be your bank and how the con can work Scammers impersonate brands people already know and trust, and banks are among the most effective disguises available to them when trying to catch out people and businesses. “Scammers love to impersonate known brands, known entities,” said Shannon Brown, CommBank’s Fraud and Scams Industry, Intelligence and Disruption Senior Manager. “But they also really like to impersonate [...] dandenong.starcommunity.com.au
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