How to spot a super scam

Scammers can target you online, by phone or by email.

Signs of a super scam:

advertisements promoting early access to super
offers to ‘take control’ of your super
offers to invest your super in property
offers of quick and easy ways to access or ‘unlock’ super

Phishing scams for your super

Watch out for emails or calls requesting your personal or account details. Scammers may pretend to be a company you know, like your super fund, to steal your identity. They may then use this to transfer your super to an account they can access, like a fake SMSF.

Report a super scam

If you think you’ve been targeted by someone who is trying to access your super early, report it to:

ASIC — online complaint form
ATO — 13 10 20

Support after a scam

If a scam has caused you problems with debt, talk to a financial counsellor. They can help you get your finances back on track.

If you’ve been scammed and need someone to talk to, contact:

Lifeline — 13 11 14 or the online Crisis Support Chat
Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 or the Beyond Blue website

Protect yourself from super scams

There are some simple things you can do to protect yourself from super scams.

Know the rules about your super

Scammers will try to convince you that they can help you to get your super early. Knowing when you can legally get your super protects you from these kinds of scams.

See getting your super.

Check your balance and contact details

Regularly check your super balance by logging into your account through your super fund’s website. If something doesn’t look right, contact your super fund and ask them to explain.

Make sure your super fund has your correct mobile number, email and postal address. This will help them get in touch with you if there’s any suspicious activity on your account.

Take steps to stop identity theft

There are simple steps you can take to help stop someone stealing your identity — for example, shredding your documents, and being careful on social media. See identity theft.

Don’t deal with anyone who is not licensed

A scammer will not have a licence to set up or manage super funds. You can check if someone is licensed on ASIC’s website. Choose ‘Australian Financial Services Licensee’ in the drop-down menu when you search. You can also use APRA’s Disqualification Register to check whether someone has been disqualified.

MoneySmart
(www.moneysmart.gov.au)