International student scam warning: never sell your bank or identification details
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has issued a warning about a widely-circulating scam targeting international Uni students, featuring offers of ‘quick cash’ and commissions for access to your bank accounts and identity documents.
The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre is warning international students, particularly those preparing to head home from studying in Australia, about scammers offering you money (usually between $200–$500) for the use of your Australian bank accounts, with potential for a commission (typically about 10%) on funds received in them.
Identity documents – such as passports, driver’s licences or government-issued identification – are also in high demand with scammers, with criminals aiming to buy these in order to open bank accounts in their victims’ names.
Please pay attention to this urgent warning from the AFP: don’t sell your bank accounts and identification details to anyone! This is a scam.
Protect yourself from falling victim to this scam
- Don’t share banking and personal details with anyone you don’t know or trust.
- If someone asks to use or ‘borrow’ your bank account, say no.
- If you suspect something is not right, reject the offer.
What to do if you’ve been contacted by a scammer
- Stop all communication with the scammer.
- Contact your financial institution if you have transferred money or suspect unusual account activity.
- Report it to police using ReportCyber.
- Report suspected scams to ScamWatch to help others avoid similar scams.
- If you are concerned your identity has been compromised, contact the national identity and cyber support service IDCARE.
- If you, or someone you know, needs preventative mental health or crisis help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. They provide 24/7 support services.
You can also bookmark and regularly visit Deakin’s cybersecurity blog to stay up to date with the latest known online scams.