What's happening

Scammers are sending fake messages that say you bought something you didn’t buy and tells you to call a phone number to stop or reverse the payment.

You might get the message by text, email, app notification, calendar invitation or another way. It might even include your details such as your name, email, phone number or address.

The fake purchase is often between $300 and $2,000 and might be for items such as a phone, security software, plane or event tickets, or cryptocurrency.

The message may mention a payment service you know, such as PayPal. It may also mention an account you closed or an account you have never used.

Scammers try to make you feel rushed by claiming you only have a short time to call the number before the money is taken from your account.

Who’s at risk

Anyone can be targeted by this scam. You may feel pressured to act urgently if your details are included in the message, or if you use the apps or payment service named in the message. It’s important to check, even if it looks real at first glance.

What this may look like

These scams can look like messages from well-known companies and services, including:

  • Shop App order receipts
  • Google Meet invitations
  • Apple iMessage texts
  • PayPal email invoices or text messages
  • Norton / McAfee software renewal emails
  • Microsoft annual subscription emails.
A Shop App receipt of a fake PayPal purchase for a Microsoft Surface laptop.

Example of a Shop App receipt of a fake PayPal purchase.

An email from Shop App about a fake PayPal invoice saying 'A shipment from order #2020 is on the way'.

Example of an email from Shop App about a fake PayPal invoice.

A text message about a fake recent PayPal purchase saying 'A payment authorization request was recently flagged by our monitoring system due to unusual login activity' Transaction amount A$718.90, rest of message says 'If this request was not initiated by you, please contact our support immediately to verify and secure your account access. PayPal support +61 1800, redacted.

Example of a text message about a fake recent PayPal purchase.

Warning signs to look out for

  • A message about a payment or purchase you don’t recognise.
  • A phone number shown clearly with instructions to call if you didn’t make the purchase.
  • A high-cost purchase, often $300 or more, to make you worry and call the number.
  • Pressure to act quickly before the money is taken from your account.
  • If you call the number, the scammer may:
    • ask for your bank or card details to give you a refund
    • say they paid you too much and ask you to send money back
    • get you to install software so they can control your device and access your accounts
    • ask you to help catch the scammers by buying gift cards sending photos of them.

Protect yourself from fake purchase callback scams

STOP. Don’t rush. Don’t call the number in the message or share financial information, passwords, one-time codes or gift card numbers.

CHECK. Log in to your account by using the official app or website to check whether the payment is real. Use the official website to find the real phone number.

PROTECT. If you sent money or shared personal information, act quickly. Visit Scamwatch to find out what to do if you have been scammed.

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