Stay Safe Guides
For Seniors

Keeping your banking safe online

Simple steps that make your bank account much harder for scammers to reach — and what to do the moment you think something is wrong.

Know the Rules

What your bank will never ask you to do

One of the most reliable ways to spot a banking scam is to know what real banks simply do not do. If anyone claiming to be from your bank asks for any of the following — hang up. Then call your bank directly using the number on the back of your card.

If a caller says they're from your bank and asks for any of the above

Hang up immediately. Do not call back any number they gave you. Find your bank's phone number independently — on the back of your debit or credit card, on your bank's official website, or in the phone book — and call that number to check whether your bank was genuinely trying to reach you.

Simple Steps

Three things worth setting up in your banking app

Most Australian banking apps have features that significantly reduce your exposure to fraud. These three are particularly useful and straightforward to enable.

  1. 1 Turn on transaction notifications Your banking app can send you an alert every time a payment is made from your account — to your phone, as a notification. If you see a payment you didn't make, you'll know immediately rather than discovering it later on a statement. This is one of the most effective early-warning tools your bank provides.
  2. 2 Set a lower daily transfer limit Most banking apps let you reduce the maximum amount that can be transferred out of your account in a single day. Setting this to a low amount — say, $500 or whatever suits your normal spending — means that even if a scammer gains access to your account, the amount they can take is limited. You can always raise the limit temporarily when you need to make a large transfer.
  3. 3 Set up biometric login (Face ID or fingerprint) This lets you open your banking app by looking at your phone or touching the fingerprint sensor, instead of typing a password. It is more secure than a password — only your face or fingerprint will open the app on your device — and it's easier to use day-to-day.
Emergency Reference

If you think someone is accessing your account right now

Every major Australian bank has an emergency account lock you can activate yourself in seconds from the banking app. Lock first, then call. Here is where to find it at each bank:

Bank Lock feature & where to find it Fraud phone number
CommBank App → Cards → Lock card. Or tell Ceba (the app chatbot) "lock my card" 13 2221 — 24/7
Westpac App → More → Help & Security → SafeBlock — locks all cards and accounts instantly 1300 364 294
ANZ App → Digital Padlock — blocks all digital access and cards in one step 13 22 73 — 24/7
NAB App → Cards → Usage Controls → block all transaction types 13 22 65 press 3 — 24/7
Macquarie App → lock card. Or open the Q chatbot and type "report a scam" 02 8550 5666 — 24/7

After locking, call your bank and ask to speak to the fraud team. If you're unsure whether the lock has worked, call the number above and they can confirm your account status while you're on the phone.

We set all of this up for you at the initial visit

When a SafeHarbour Digital operator visits your home, setting up your banking app is part of what we do. We help you enable transaction notifications, set appropriate transfer limits, and turn on biometric login. We also show you where the emergency lock button is in your banking app — so if you ever need it, you know exactly where it is and how to use it.

We also save your bank's fraud number in your phone contacts — labelled clearly, so you never have to search for it in a stressful moment.

Want someone to set this up with you?

Give us a call. We're happy to talk through any of the steps on this page — or to arrange a visit to set everything up for you in person.

Call us any time 03 XXXX XXXX We respond to all enquiries within one business day