Australians are on alert as a new form of scam, involving deceptive pop-up SMS messages that masquerade as notifications from NAB, begins to circulate.
These messages, which appear even on locked screens, claim urgent action is needed due to supposed activities like overseas use of NAB IDs.
Laura Hartley (pictured above), NAB’s head of security advisory, stressed that NAB does not use pop-up SMS to contact customers.
“Pop-up SMSes – legitimately used overseas for emergency warnings – are now being hijacked by criminals aiming to defraud Australians,” Hartley said.
Often referred to as a “flash” or “class 0 SMS,” a pop-up SMS scam is a message that appears directly on the phone screen, requiring immediate attention.
These pop-up SMS scams temporarily lock users out of their phones, displaying messages that must be actively dismissed or saved, complicating efforts to report them.
Unlike regular SMS messages, these do not save automatically in the phone’s SMS inbox, making them a potent tool for fraudsters.
Originally, this method was used for urgent government alerts about natural disasters in some countries. However, it has been co-opted by criminals for fraudulent purposes. This adaptation is indicative of a broader trend where criminals modify their tactics in response to increasing public awareness of security measures.
Reflecting on recent trends, Hartley reported that incidents of NAB-branded impersonation scams have decreased, with losses down by 65% and reports of impersonations reduced by 45% between 2023 and 2024.
These improvements are credited to collaborative efforts with telecommunications companies to secure bank phone numbers and changes in customer communication strategies, such as eliminating links in unexpected text messages.
Pop-up SMS scams typically urge immediate action due to an alleged urgent issue, like unauthorised overseas transactions.
“If you receive a pop-up message claiming to be from NAB and feel unsure, do not follow any instructions or call back numbers provided in the message,” Hartley said. “Instead, contact NAB directly using verified contact information from the bank’s official website or your bank card.”
NAB encourages everyone to exercise caution and verify any suspicious messages with a trusted source. If you suspect you have received a scam SMS, report it to NAB at [email protected] and inform your telecommunications provider.
Staying informed about the nature of these scams and knowing the official communication methods of your bank are crucial in preventing fraud.
Despite the progress made, Hartley acknowledged that the battle against financial scams is ongoing.
“There is no silver bullet. We can, and will, do more,” she said, signaling NAB's continued commitment to enhancing security measures and public awareness to combat the evolving tactics of criminals.
