What to do in the event of a scam or fraud
Report fraud on your account
If you suspect fraud on your Telstra account, you can report it to us and we'll investigate further.
Report a suspected scam
If you've got an iPhone, select 'Report Junk' or 'Report Spam' within the message. For Android users, forward the message to 7226 (SCAM) then delete the message.
Suspend lost or stolen phone or SIM card
If you can’t find your phone or SIM card you can choose to temporarily suspend your mobile service so it can't receive or make any calls, send or receive texts or use mobile data.
Password reset to prevent unauthorised access
If you suspect someone else has access to your Telstra account, immediately change your password to help prevent further unauthorised access.
How can you tell it's Telstra contacting you?
My Telstra Notification centre
Keep track of important communications and help avoid fraudulent emails or scams. Whether it’s an SMS, email or push notification, we’ll keep it all in the Notification centre so you know it's really from us.
To get to the My Telstra Notification centre:
- Open the My Telstra app
- Tap on the profile icon in the top right corner
- Tap on Account activity
Telstra website links in messages
We regularly send links to customers via email or SMS. Often, we'll use a shortened link in those messages that uses 'tel.st'. This is a legitimate shortened Telstra link. If you're still unsure, you can check whether you've received the same message in the My Telstra Notification centre.
Tips to spot and deal with a scam
Scams can be very unpleasant and stressful. They often try to catch you off guard, make you feel pressured or worried and they play on emotions, which can make it harder to keep a cool head.
While we do our best to help stop scams before they even reach you, some will still get through. That's where we need to work together.
For scams that reach you, there are two things you can do:
- Learn about them. Ask yourself: What kind of scams are there? How can I tell when someone's trying to scam me? What can I do in the moment to protect myself?
- Report them. If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, let us know and we can investigate the matter. You can also report scams to SCAMwatch.
Learn about scams
SMS sender ID is changing
From 1 July 2026, all organisations must officially register their sender IDs before they text you
A sender ID is a short alphanumeric header displayed at the top of text messages to show you which organisation or company the message is from. For example: ‘ATO’ or ‘myGov’.
From 1 July 2026, all companies and organisations using sender ID in their SMS and MMS messages will be required to register with the Australian Media and Communications Authority's (ACMA) SMS Sender ID Register.
A common scam tactic is to impersonate well-known brands and government agencies by spoofing (faking) their sender IDs. These scam messages may appear in the same message thread as legitimate messages, making them seem genuine and trusted.
The ACMA SMS Sender ID Register will establish a list of verified organisations and their sender IDs to help protect phone users against spoofing and impersonation scams. The SMS Sender ID Register places obligations on Telstra and other telcos to disrupt any messages using an unregistered sender ID.
From 1 July 2026, messages from registered sender IDs will appear with the organisation’s name or an abbreviation of their name. If the sender ID is not registered, the message will appear as ‘Unverified’. You can also check with the organisation directly or visit their official website if you’re unsure.
If a message appears from ‘Unverified’, it means the sender ID used in the message is not registered in the ACMA SMS Sender ID Register. This doesn’t automatically mean it’s a scam, but you should treat it with caution. Avoid clicking links or sharing personal information if you’re not sure the message is legitimate.
You do not need to do anything. The register is managed by the ACMA and participating telcos are responsible for complying with the rules. More information can be found on the ACMA’s SMS Sender ID Register page.
Learn more about cyber security and safety
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