Protect yourself from scam calls

What are scam calls and why they’re a risk

Scam calls are phone calls designed to trick you into sharing personal information, sending money or giving access to your device. They often sound urgent or official, encouraging you to act quickly instead of stopping to check.

Phone scams remain a common way scammers attempt to contact Australians. According to Scamwatch, which is led by the Australian Government’s National Anti‑Scam Centre, phone‑based scams continue to cause significant losses each year.

How scam calls work

Scammers often pretend to be from trusted organisations such as banks, government agencies, delivery companies or telecommunications providers.

They may:

warn you about an urgent issue with your account
claim suspicious activity has been detected
ask you to confirm personal or financial details
direct you to click a link or install an app.

Creating urgency is a common tactic. Scammers want you to act before you have time to verify who you’re dealing with.

To stay informed about emerging threats, you can also check active phone scams to see what people are being targeted with right now.

How we help protect you from scam calls

Telstra Scam Protect

Telstra Scam Protect is a free, auto‑activated security feature on eligible Telstra mobile services. It helps you make more informed decisions before you answer by flagging calls that may be suspicious.

When a call comes in, you may see a warning on your screen so you can decide whether to answer or let the call go to voicemail. These alerts provide extra context at the moment a call happens. Not every scam call will be flagged, so it’s still important to stay alert.

Three smartphone screens showing incoming call warnings for potential fraud, suspicious calling patterns and unverified overseas calls.

Examples of scam call warnings from Telstra Scam Protect

What the warnings mean

You may see one of these messages on your screen:

Warning: Potential Fraud, for calls that may be fraudulent, including suspected spoofed numbers or suspicious calling patterns.
Warning: Suspicious Calling Pattern, when Telstra detects unusual calling behaviour often linked to spam or scam activity.
Unverified: Overseas Call, when a call appears local but is detected as originating from overseas and may be suspicious.

Telstra Scam Protect only applies warnings to some calls identified as suspicious. It cannot guarantee every scam call will be flagged, so it is still important to stay alert.

Additional protection tools

Telstra Scam Protect works alongside other tools designed to help keep your devices and information safer.

Device Security Essentials

A free security feature available in the My Telstra app that helps protect your phone from malware, phishing attempts and unsafe websites.

Add extra protection with Device Security Essentials

Scam Indicator

A feature that can provide additional context during situations that may involve scam activity.

Learn how Scam Indicator works

Passkeys

A more secure way to sign in to your Telstra account using your device instead of passwords, helping reduce the risk of phishing and account take‑over scams.

Protect your account with passkeys

How to recognise a scam call

A call may be a scam if it:

is unexpected and pressures you to act immediately
asks for passwords, PINs or one-time codes
requests payment in usual ways
tells you to click a link or install software
pressures you not to hang up or verify the details another way.

If something doesn't feel right, trust your instincts. It's okay to pause and end the call.

What to do if you receive a suspicious call

If a call feels suspicious:

hang up
do not share personal or financial information
do not click links or install apps suggested during the call
contact the organisation directly using details from its official website or app.

If you later realise you may have shared information or been affected by a scam, follow the step‑by‑step guidance in If you’re worried you’ve been scammed.

You can help stop scam activity, by reporting a scam to Scamwatch. If what you received isn't listed, you can report a scam using Telstra’s online form..

Simple ways to reduce scam calls

Using Telstra’s built‑in protection tools alongside safe habits can help lower your risk.

You can:

let unknown numbers go to voicemail
take time to verify who is calling
keep your phone software up to date
stay informed about current scam tactics.

Take the next step to stay protected

Protecting yourself from scam calls starts with recognising the warning signs early and having the right protections in place. Telstra Scam Protect helps by giving you extra context before you answer, while other Telstra security features can help reduce risk across your devices and accounts.

Take a moment to review your security settings and explore ways to strengthen your protection across calls, messages and online accounts.

Frequently asked questions about Telstra Scam Protect

Telstra Scam Protect is a free, auto‑activated feature on eligible Telstra mobile services that can display warnings for some suspicious calls, helping you decide whether to answer.

No. While Telstra Scam Protect can flag some suspicious calls, not every scam call will be identified. Staying alert is still important.

This article focuses on recognising and avoiding scam calls. If you believe you may have been scammed, see If you’re worried you’ve been scammed for clear next steps and support.

At this time, there is no option for individual customers to opt out of receiving the warnings, as these are part of the overall security and identification enhancements deployed by Telstra.

Protect yourself from scams

Learn what you can do if you've spotted a scam pretending to be Telstra or if you notice unusual expenses on your Telstra account.

Learn more about scams

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Protect yourself from scam calls

What are scam calls and why they’re a risk

How scam calls work