Watching out for scams

What to do if you suspect you have been sent a scam message

We value our customers and their privacy, which is why we encourage you to be alert for potential scam messages that might be sent to you using Hollard’s name or the name of one of our partners.

It is always ok to end communication with someone if you think they might be trying to scam you. You can do this by ending the phone call or deleting an SMS or email without responding to it.

If you think you might have provided your personal information to a scammer or have given them your financial information, we strongly encourage you to report this to the Federal government’s Scamwatch website as a priority.

Scamwatch also provides information about how to recognise a scam and what to do if you, or a loved one, have been scammed.

Scamwatch website

How do scams work?

Scams are becoming more common and impact hundreds of thousands of Australians each year. They are most commonly seen in the form of an SMS, email, or phone call.

Scammers are criminals, and scamming someone out of their personal information or money is a crime. A scammer may act as though they are here to help you – they might ask lots of questions or insist that you provide information you wouldn’t normally provide via SMS message or email, or to someone who called you when you weren’t expecting it. Examples could include your password or bank account details.

Scammers will often try and rush you into making a decision or tell you that it’s not possible to proceed with an action without your password or bank details.

What we will do:

We will always verify your identify when we speak with you on the phone
We will only ask to discuss information relating to your current policy, claim, or based on information you have requested from us
We will let you know if a matter is time sensitive, but won’t force you to act if you are not ready.

What we won’t do:

We will never ask you for your password
We won’t rush you
We won’t ask you questions that do not relate to your current policy, claim, or enquiry
We will not disclose your personal information unless we are legally required to do so. More information about how we manage your data can be found within our privacy policy.

Common scams

Scam phone calls

Scam phone calls may be someone impersonating a Hollard employee with the aim to extract personal or financial information from you.

SMS (smishing)

SMS (smishing) scams where you may receive an SMS appearing to be from Hollard or our related entities that may include a link to direct you to a fraudulent website or to call a fake number.

Email (phishing)

Email (phishing) scams where criminals send deceptive emails that appear legitimate with the aim to trick the receiver into sharing personal or financial information.

Social media impersonation

Social media impersonation where scammers create fake social media profiles resembling Hollard or its partner brands.

How do I protect myself from scams?

If you are unsure if a message is a scam, ask for help from someone you trust.

Hang up the phone if a call seems too good to be true or doesn’t sound right to you, delete an email or SMS if you think it’s not a legitimate message, and reach out to us via the contact details on our website to check if we tried to make contact with you.

It is always ok to stop any communication you think might be a scam.

If you call to confirm a message came from us, our customer service team will always perform a security check to confirm your identity, and should be able to let you know if a genuine attempt to contact you has been made. There may be occasions where we need to take your details and call you back so that we can ensure the information we’re giving you is accurate.

Tips from Scamwatch

Follow these three steps to protect yourself from scams:

Stop: don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure

Scammers will offer to help you or ask you to verify who you are. They will pretend to be from organisations you know and trust like, Services Australia, police, a bank, government or a fraud service.

Think: ask yourself could the message or call be fake?

Never click a link in a message. Only contact businesses or government using the contact information found on their official website or through their secure apps. If you’re not sure say no, hang up or delete.

Protect: act quickly if something feels wrong

Contact your bank if you notice some unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help from IDCARE and report to ReportCyber and Scamwatch.

More information can be found in The Little Black Book of Scams by Scamwatch.

Download book

Notifying Hollard about a scam

You can help us keep our customers informed about any current scam activity by notifying us about any suspicious SMS messages, emails, or phone calls to us via our online form.

Notify us

Remember: If you think you might have provided your personal information to a scammer or have given them your financial information, we strongly encourage you to report this to the Federal government’s Scamwatch website before you report it to us.

Additional resources

We encourage you to visit one or more of the following reputable resources if you would like to learn more about what scams can look like and how to protect yourself.

Watching out for scams