Free tool · private
Scam text checker
Paste a text message (or an email) and see the red flags in seconds. The check runs in your own browser - the message is never sent to BadCall or anyone else.
How to spot a scam text in Australia
Scam texts are built to make you act before you think. Nearly all of them use the same few tricks:
- A link you didn't ask for. Banks, myGov, the ATO, Linkt and Australia Post don't send links to log in or pay. Lookalike addresses (
auspost-help[.]com,linkt-au[.]info,mygov-au[.]net) are the giveaway. - Urgency or a penalty. "Within 24 hours", "final notice", "your account will be suspended", "avoid a $160 fine".
- A small amount to pay. $1.99 redelivery, a $7.42 toll - small enough not to question, and the real goal is your card details.
- A brand you trust. Toll roads, Australia Post, DHL, myGov, the ATO, Medicare, banks, Netflix, Amazon, Telstra and energy retailers are copied most.
- "Hi Mum / Hi Dad". A child who has "lost their phone" and needs money sent to a new account. Call your child on their real number before doing anything.
- Too good to be true. Prizes, refunds, crypto returns or part-time jobs paying hundreds a day "liking" videos.
- Moving the chat. "Message me on WhatsApp/Telegram" - scammers move you off the network that might block them.
What to do with a scam text
- Don't tap the link or reply - not even "STOP".
- Check the real way: open the official app, or type the website address yourself.
- Report the sender's number on BadCall so others are warned, and to Scamwatch.
- Forward it to your provider - Telstra customers can forward scam texts to 7226 for free; other providers have their own reporting options.
- Delete it. If you already tapped and entered details, call your bank now and see what to do if you've been scammed.
More: the most common scam texts in Australia, toll scam texts, parcel delivery scams and the "Hi Mum" scam.