At Bankwest, we're committed to helping you do your banking safely and securely. And we believe that keeping your financial and personal information secure and confidential is one of our most important responsibilities. That's why we take privacy seriously and operate under a detailed, rigorous information security policy.
We also know that by taking just a few easy precautions, you can better protect your financial and personal information against fraud and identity theft. Education and awareness are great first steps, so we've put together some valuable information which you can use to help you keep your personal details secure and protect yourself against fraud.
"Skimming" is the illegal copying of information from the magnetic strip of a credit or debit card. Fraudsters who try to copy personal information through the act of Skimming, often with ATM or EFTPOS Machines, are often called "Scammers". If a card has been skimmed a fake or cloned card can be created, stored with the stolen personal details, and when armed with these Scammers are able to access those accounts.
Identity Theft involves the use of stolen personal information in order to commit fraudulent acts. Identity Theft can occur when someone gains access to an individual's information and they impersonate them, often to steal money or gain other benefits by doing so.
"Phishing", "Spam" and "Scams" are some of the common terms used to describe activities undertaken by criminals who attempt to deceive you into sending your personal details or money to them, through the use of fake emails and/or fake websites.
There are some key indicators you can look out for in order to identify legitimate emails or websites.
Fraudsters are unlikely to know you personally so check for your name. As our customer we know who you are, so we'll always address you by name.
Fake emails may ask you to click through to another link to share your personal details by "logging in", and can take you to a site that looks similar to but is not actually a Bankwest URL. Remember, bankwest.com.au is our official URL.
We already have your online and telephone banking details; a scam email or site may ask you for them, but you should never share your personal or banking details.
You can report any potential phishing, spam or scam emails impersonating Bankwest by sending a copy to our Information Security Team at abuse@security.bankwest.com.au
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At Bankwest, we take your security seriously. And because online banking is one of the most convenient ways to do your banking we want you to feel confident that we're taking all the measures we can to protect you. We're so confident, we even offer a No Loss Security Guarantee^ whenever you use BOB.
To learn more about how we keep you secure when you use Bankwest online banking, and for some simple suggestions on how you can remain safe when you use BOB click here.
If you have reason to believe an unauthorised person has attempted to access, or has been successful in accessing your online banking facility, please notify Bankwest immediately on 1300 440 749.
Going on holidays should be an enjoyable experience, and your journey should be as smooth as possible, but it's important to remember that fraudsters can be anywhere. Some even prey on travellers who find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings and environments.
It is important to let us know when you plan to travel overseas or interstate, so we can monitor any suspicious activity that may occur on your accounts. Plus, there are a number of precautions that you can take to keep both your funds and identity safe when you travel.
Please fill out this Overseas Travel Notification Form to advise Bankwest of your overseas or interstate travel plans.
At Bankwest we will communicate with our customers in the ways that are most convenient for them, including email and SMS, but we will NEVER request you to disclose your personal information when we do so. Some examples of personal information that we already know and won't ask you to divulge via email/SMS include:
If you have received a suspect email impersonating Bankwest you can report it by sending a copy to abuse@security.bankwest.com.au
If you believe your personal banking details have been compromised please contact Bankwest immediately on 1300 440 749.
There are a number of different sources which provide additional information and resources on topics such as Scams, Phishing and General Security.
If you'd like to learn more we suggest you check out the following websites:
provides Australian online users with information on the simple steps they can take to secure themselves online. This includes information and advice on how to secure your computer and your transactions online.
helps you recognise, report and protect yourself from scams. Explore Scamwatch to find out more about the scams could target you or your small business.
If you're a regular user of Twitter, you probably know that from time to time you'll encounter spam, spambots or twitterbots (Twitter accounts that use automated tweets by 'robots' rather than real people).
On most occasions, this type of activity will be annoying but harmless. However on some occasions the intent of the spam can be more malicious, and some links contained within spam tweets are designed to expose you to a virus or phishing scam. Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communications.
Be cautious if you see a tweet with a link that mentions Bankwest but has not come from @Bankwest. If in doubt, do not click on the link and contact us via Twitter or email us at abuse@security.bankwest.com.au so that we can investigate it.
You can also block the spammer via your Twitter account to stop seeing messages from them and to stop them following you. You can also report the account for spam which will alert Twitter to check the account and remove the account if it is being used to spam.
If you believe your personal banking details have been compromised please contact Bankwest immediately on 1300 440 749. If you have received a suspect email impersonating Bankwest you can report it by sending a copy to abuse@security.bankwest.com.au
We take your internet security very seriously and have some special rules around how we’ll communicate on Twitter which we'd like you to know.
Remember, you should never give out your personal information especially your bank account details in a tweet.
^ We are so confident with our online security system that we guarantee your money and personal details will be safe when you use Bankwest online banking. This is provided you have complied with our Bankwest Online Banking Product Disclosure Statement and neither you nor any authorised user on your behalf have contributed to the loss. If you do have a loss resulting from an unauthorised transaction in Bankwest online banking, then subject to the previous paragraph, we will reimburse you the full amount of any funds lost.
Bankwest will never send you an e-mail asking for your details. Contact us if you suspect a security issue.
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