How to spot and stop phone scams in Australia (including AI voice scams) in 2026

Internet & Mobile Security Blog | MATE, Home & Business Internet Blog | MATE | 6 July 2026

At MATE, we take your privacy and safety very seriously. We continue to assist Australians in best practice techniques to combat illegal scam calls.

Phone scams Australia 2026 are becoming harder to recognise, especially when scammers use familiar local numbers or convincing voices. This guide explains how to stop scam calls, protect your personal information and take action if something does not feel right.

What’s changed with phone scams in 2026

Scams are still costing Australians a lot of money. According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, Australians reported losing $2.18 billion to scams in 2025. That’s up 7.8% on 2024, though still 29.7% lower than the peak of $3.1 billion in 2022.

Older Australians are being hit hardest. People aged 65 and over make up about 17.1% of the population, but they accounted for 26.5% of the losses reported to Scamwatch. If you’re reading this for a parent or grandparent, it’s a good one to share with them.

Scammers are also changing how they reach people. Reports of scam text messages fell sharply, from 77,365 in 2024 to 29,058 in 2025. Over the same period, reports of online scams that caused a loss rose by 31.8%. In other words, scammers haven’t gone away. They’re moving to different channels and using artificial intelligence (AI) to make their stories more convincing.

The good news is that new protections are arriving too, from rules that make telcos block scam calls and texts, to new laws that make banks, telcos and digital platforms responsible for fighting scams. We explain what that means for you further down.

Scam phone calls – what are they?

Scam calls annoy and defraud thousands of Australians each year. Telephone-based calls claim to be from real organisations such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australian Federal Police (AFP), Microsoft and many more to trick us into believing them.

These scam callers use manipulative and deceiving tactics to attempt to access your equipment or gather private information from you. Scam callers often use threats of a financial penalty or criminal prosecution to manipulate consumers as part of the scam.

Types of scam calls

Examples of some common scam calls include:

• Calls imitating the Australian Federal Police (AFP). In such a call, you may be asked for assistance to help track down criminals and assist with AFP investigations. You will usually be asked to transfer money overseas using international money transfer services;
• Calls asking for outstanding bills or debt to be paid. In such a call, the scammer will usually reference popular prepaid gift cards such as Apple iTunes and Westfield Shopping Centre vouchers. They sometimes may state that this is on behalf of a credit agency representing Telstra or the Australian Taxation Office (ATO);
• Calls imitating support desk staff. In such a call, the scam caller will attempt to access your computer by pretending to know your CLSID, a globally unique identifier that identifies a piece of software. The scam caller will try to pass this off as something only a legitimate support person would know;
• Calls attempting to trick you into making payments to them or someone you may know;
• Calling you and hanging up immediately in the hope that you will call back – costing you money;
• Scammers are impersonating parcel delivery companies to try get address, consumer information or ask you to go to a dangerous webpage or download a dangerous app;
• Calls claiming to be from an organisation you trust. In such a call, the scammer will ask for your personal details to try and access your private information;
• Calls advising that you have won a prize or that there is a sum of money waiting for you.
• Calls pretending to be from the ATO or myGov. The caller may say you owe tax, that there’s a problem with your myGov account, or that you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay. If you’re unsure, hang up and call the ATO on 1800 008 540;
• Calls pretending to be from nbn or “tech support”. The caller says there’s a problem with your internet or computer and asks for remote access. More on these below.

AI voice scams and number spoofing

An AI voice scam Australia callers may use can imitate a familiar voice or create a convincing automated message to pressure you into acting quickly. Number spoofing Australia scammers use can also make a call appear to come from a local mobile number or a trusted organisation. Treat the displayed number as unverified: hang up and contact the organisation using a phone number from its official website or app.

How AI voice cloning works

Voice cloning tools use AI to copy the sound of someone’s voice, and scammers only need a short recording to get started. In research by security company McAfee, just three seconds of audio was enough to create a clone with an 85% match to the original voice. That audio can come from a voicemail greeting, a video posted on social media, or a short phone call where someone gets you talking.

The two calls to watch out for

• The family emergency: A call or voice message that sounds just like your child or grandchild. They’re in trouble, perhaps after an accident or a lost wallet overseas, and need money sent urgently. They often ask you not to tell anyone else.
• The boss transfer: A call that sounds like your manager or a company director, asking you to urgently pay an invoice or move money to a new account. These calls often target people who handle payments at work or run a small business.

Your best defence: a family safe word

A cloned voice can be hard to tell apart from the real thing, so don’t rely on your ears. Check who you’re talking to instead.

Agree on a family safe word: a simple word or phrase that only your family knows. Share it in person, and never by text, email or social media. If someone calls asking for money, ask for the safe word. A scammer won’t know it.

If something still feels off, hang up and call the person back on the number you already have saved for them. A real family member won’t mind you checking.

Fake nbn and tech support calls

Scammers love pretending to be from nbn because almost every household relies on it. The caller might say your internet is about to be disconnected, that there’s a fault on your line, or that you’re owed a refund. Often, the real goal is to get you to download software that gives them remote access to your computer. Remote access scams cost Australians $69.9 million in 2025.

Here’s what to know:

• nbn doesn’t make unsolicited calls or door-knock to sell broadband services.
• nbn doesn’t sell internet plans directly to consumers. You buy your plan through a provider, like MATE.
• nbn says it will never call asking to remotely access your devices, and will never ask for payment over the phone.

As more homes are moved from copper to full fibre, real nbn upgrade notices are arriving, and scammers will copy them. nbn has already warned about scammers cold calling or door-knocking homes near fibre installations, asking for fees to fix or upgrade equipment. If you get a call or notice about an upgrade, don’t act on it straight away. Check with your provider first. Our guide to what your nbn upgrade notice means explains what’s happening and what you need to do.

If you get one of these calls, hang up, don’t install anything, and call your provider on a number you’ve looked up yourself.

Minimising the risk of scam calls

If a call or text sounds too good to be true, it usually is. To reduce the risk of being scammed, ensure you:

• Never share any personal information with someone you do not know;
• Never provide any information to someone who is asking to access your computer or any other devices;
• Contact your bank or financial institution immediately if you believe you have been scammed;
• Block callers – you can usually do this on your mobile phone handset;
• Use a security password or screen lock on your mobile phone handset;
• Check your text messages carefully. Look for things that don’t look right, such as bad spelling, strange sender name or unknown number;
• Put a lock on your home mailbox – this way, people can’t steal mail that may give information about your identity;
• Check if an unknown number is from an official source by checking online. Typing the number into a search engine like Google might bring up details about the owner of the phone number
• Carefully choose who you share personal details with online and update privacy settings on social media;
• Regularly update any PINs and passwords for any online services.

Remember the rule: If in doubt, don’t:

• Don’t answer, don’t click on links, don’t give personal details, and don’t give money;
• Don’t answer if you don’t know who it is. Let the call go to voicemail first. If the caller leaves a number, check that it matches the one on their website;
• Don’t reply or click on any links in text messages;
• Don’t ever send money;
• Don’t ever tell anyone your personal details—passwords or other sensitive information.
• Don’t ever let someone take control of your computer;

Blocking numbers of unwanted callers or SMS scammers

Many scam calls now come through to mobile phones. There are two main software packages on phones, so blocking calls will be slightly different on each. To help keep things safe, we recommend:

iPhone/Apple device

Always ensure that you have the latest version of iOS installed. To block a number, navigate to the recent calls menu, then select the ‘information’. At the bottom there is a block number option. Select this and the number will be permanently blocked. You can also turn on Silence Unknown Callers in your Phone settings, which sends calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts straight to voicemail. 

Android/Google device

Click on the phone call making app and navigate to the recent calls list. From there, select the information – that takes you to the phone numbers Info. At the bottom there is an option to block the number permanently. Many Android phones also have a Caller ID and spam setting in the Phone app that can filter suspected spam calls. 

If you receive scam calls on your ADSL landline or nbn phone (VoIP) service, please let our support team know. We can notify the network operator to flag these dangerous and annoying numbers.

Products and services to help

There are a number of products and services that you can use to minimise the risk of being affected by scams. These include:

• Setting up an app to filter and detect spam calls. Visit your device’s app store and download an app that detects and blocks spam phone calls. You can download and install multiple apps with this feature from different app developers, but be wary of the app you install – make sure you read reviews and feedback before installing;
• Register your phone number on the Do Not Call Register. This is a free service where consumers can securely register their home, mobile or fax numbers for free to reduce unsolicited telemarketing calls. You can find more information and register here: https://www.donotcall.gov.au; It won’t stop criminal scam calls, but it cuts down legitimate telemarketing, so unexpected calls stand out more; 
• Get the latest software updates on your devices. Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your product’s security. Whether it’s your computer, smartphone or tablet, your operating system will constantly release security updates that may protect against issues;
• Download and run a free antivirus and malware removal tool. Choose a reputable company such as Norton – such a tool will use a more intensive method to scan your computer to detect complex threats that could help prevent being scammed.

• could help prevent being scammed.

For more ways to cut down on unwanted calls and texts, read our guide to reducing scam calls.

How MATE helps protect you from scam calls

Australian telcos also have to follow rules, registered and enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), that require them to identify, trace and block scam calls and texts.

From 1 July 2026, organisations that send texts with their name at the top need to register that name on the SMS Sender ID Register. Texts sent with an unregistered name are labelled “Unverified”, so treat those with extra care.

Under the new Scams Prevention Framework, banks, telcos and digital platforms are legally required to take steps to prevent, detect, disrupt, report and respond to scams. Most of these obligations start on 31 March 2027. From then, if a business doesn’t resolve your scam complaint, you can take it to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

What MATE will never do

• Cold call you asking for remote access to your computer
• Ask for your password or your full card number
• Ask you to pay with gift cards or cryptocurrency

How to check a call is really from MATE

If you’re not sure a call is genuine, hang up and contact us yourself on 13 14 13, or through our support page. Our support team is based here in Australia, so you’ll always be talking to a real person who’s on your side. You can also report a suspicious call, text or email that mentions MATE.

Think you have been scammed? Take action

Act quickly. If you think you’ve been scammed, work through these steps in order:

1. Contact your bank or card provider immediately. Ask them to stop the payment, recall the transfer or request a chargeback.
2. Change your passwords, starting with your email, your banking and any account you shared details for.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for your important accounts.
4. Report the scam to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.
5. Tell your telco if the scam came by phone call or text, so they can trace and block the source.
6. Contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 if your personal or identity details have been stolen.
7. Contact the police if you’ve been threatened or had property stolen. 

You can also find more information on scam calls and general safety online via the following links:

• https://www.cyber.gov.au
• https://www.scamwatch.gov.au
• https://www.acma.gov.au/phone-scams
• Unwanted Communications FAQs | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications

If you have received a suspicious email, call or SMS related to MATE, you can report this to us by clicking here.

UPDATED – October 2026