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Scam Watch

How can you recognize Investment scam — fake bond + broker callback (Australia)?

TLDR

Cold caller or LinkedIn message impersonates UBS / Macquarie / Westpac investor relations, offers 'wholesale bond' at 7 9% fixed return, sends an ASIC styled PDS with cloned ABN. ACCC ScamWatch reports A$945M Australian investment scam...

How it works

Cold caller or LinkedIn message impersonates UBS / Macquarie / Westpac investor relations, offers 'wholesale bond' at 7 9% fixed return, sends an ASIC styled PDS with cloned ABN. ACCC ScamWatch reports A$945M Australian investment scam...

Red flags

  • Urgent pressure to click, pay, or share codes immediately.
  • A link or sender that does not match the official organization.
  • Requests for card data, passwords, OTPs, wallet signatures, or bank transfers.

What to do

  1. 1ACCC ScamWatch reports A$945M Australian investment scam losses in 2024 (largest loss category).
  2. 2WHAT TO DO: verify on ASIC Connect (asic.gov.au) AND Moneysmart (moneysmart.gov.au/investor alert list); call advisor on number from ASIC, not brochure.
  3. 3IF VICTIM: report to ScamWatch (scamwatch.gov.au/report a scam), contact bank within 24h for recall, lodge complaint with AFCA (afca.org.au).

Source

ACCC-ScamWatch

Source reviewed by Mythos Forensic Team

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/investment-scams

FAQ

Is Investment scam — fake bond + broker callback (Australia) a real scam pattern?

Yes. Treat the message, call, or payment request as suspicious until you verify it through an official channel.

What are the first warning signs?

Urgent pressure to click, pay, or share codes immediately.; A link or sender that does not match the official organization.; Requests for card data, passwords, OTPs, wallet signatures, or bank transfers.

What should I do first?

ACCC ScamWatch reports A$945M Australian investment scam losses in 2024 (largest loss category).; WHAT TO DO: verify on ASIC Connect (asic.gov.au) AND Moneysmart (moneysmart.gov.au/investor alert list); call advisor on number from ASIC, not brochure.; IF VICTIM: report to ScamWatch (scamwatch.gov.au/report a scam), contact bank within 24h for recall, lodge complaint with AFCA (afca.org.au).

Can LegalAudit check my case?

Yes. Start a free chat and paste the message, link, sender, or payment details for triage.