The fake NBN or Telstra call: how remote access scams work
This one deserves its own page, because it isn't really a scam about money. It's a scam about access — and that makes it categorically more dangerous than the parcel texts and toll notices.
In every other scam, the limit on the loss is what someone can be talked into sending. Here there is no limit, because the criminal isn't asking for a transfer. They are sitting at the keyboard, in the victim's own internet banking, moving the money themselves.
Why it targets older Australians so precisely
The age skew here is unlike anything else. Across all scams, Australians over 65 account for roughly a quarter to a third of reported losses. For NBN impersonation specifically, 86% of losses came from that group in the January–July period Scamwatch reported. Telstra has been the single most impersonated organisation in the country, with NBN Co close behind.
It works because it exploits a genuine, ordinary frustration rather than a fear. Almost every Australian has had a slow connection or a dropout. A caller offering to fix your internet isn't threatening you — they're being helpful, which is a far harder thing to refuse.
Nothing in that is alarming. There's no threat, no deadline, no demand. That's precisely the design: the alarming part arrives later, once they're already inside.
The tells, in order of reliability
- They ask you to install software. AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or "a small support program". This is the whole scam in one request. No legitimate telco, bank or software company cold-calls and asks for this.
- They ask you not to hang up. Staying on the line stops you from ringing anyone to check. A real technician does not mind you calling back.
- They ask you to log into your bank while they watch. Often framed as "to check your account hasn't been compromised" or "to confirm the refund went through". There is no legitimate version of this request.
- Gift cards. If any caller asks you to buy iTunes, Google Play, Steam or supermarket gift cards and read out the numbers, it is a scam — no exceptions. No government agency, utility, telco or business collects payment this way. This single tell is close to diagnostic across every phone scam in Australia.
- A refund that requires access. "We've overcharged you and need to process a credit" is one of the most common openings, because it makes the victim the beneficiary rather than the target.
Where it goes next
Once the software is installed, the call usually turns into a second scam — and it's one you may already recognise. The "technician" discovers that your accounts have been compromised, and offers to help move your money somewhere safe while it's investigated.
That's the safe account scam, and it works far better here than it does cold, because the victim has already spent twenty minutes being helped by this person. Trust has been manufactured before the ask arrives.
They may also install software that stays behind after the call ends, giving them access days later. That's why the response below starts with the device rather than the bank.
What to do if you gave someone access
Act in this order. The device first, because leaving it connected while you make phone calls means they can watch you do it.
- Disconnect it from the internet. Turn off the wi-fi or unplug the cable. Don't wait to close programs neatly.
- Now ring the bank — from a different phone if the scammer called on that one, using the number on the back of the card. Tell them a scammer had remote access to your computer, not just that you're worried about a transaction. That changes what they do.
- Assume every password on that device is compromised. Change them from a different device: banking, email first (it's the reset path for everything else), then anything reused.
- Get the remote access software removed properly. Uninstalling the obvious program may not be enough. This is worth paying a local technician for, or ring the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 292 371 — open 24 hours, seven days.
- Call IDCARE on 1800 595 160, Australia's free identity and cyber support service, weekdays 8am–5pm. They build a specific plan for what was exposed.
- Report it at scamwatch.gov.au, and make a police report at ReportCyber.
Why this one is hard to check, and what helps
A text can be forwarded. A phone call can't — which is why phone-based scams stay effective long after their text equivalents stop working, and why NBN impersonation has persisted year after year while other scams burn out.
But a call can be described. That's the practical answer for an older parent: they don't need to identify the scam, they need somewhere to describe it and get a straight answer while the caller is still talking, or right after they've hung up unsure.
Is it a scam? takes a typed description as readily as a forwarded message — "a man rang saying he was from NBN and wants me to install something" gets the same plain-English verdict in seconds. No app, nothing to learn, and the family is told if it's real. For the scam where the whole risk is the next five minutes, that matters more than a guide nobody remembers reading.
Common questions
Does the NBN or Telstra ever ring and ask to access my computer?
No. Neither the NBN, Telstra, Microsoft, nor any bank cold-calls customers and asks them to install remote access software. NBN Co's own advice is that if someone claiming to be from them asks for access to your devices or offers to improve your internet speed, hang up and report it to Scamwatch.
Why are remote access scams worse than other scams?
Because the criminal isn't asking for a transfer, they're making it. Once remote software is installed they can operate your internet banking directly, so the loss isn't limited to what someone could be persuaded to send. They can also read email, reset passwords, and leave software behind for later access.
What software do they ask you to install?
Usually AnyDesk or TeamViewer — both legitimate tools used by real IT support, which is what makes the request sound plausible. It may also be described vaguely as "a small support program". The name doesn't matter; being asked to install anything by an unexpected caller is the tell.
The caller ID showed Telstra's real number. Doesn't that prove it?
No. Caller ID is easily spoofed, so a scam call can display a genuine number. Judge the call by what it asks you to do, not by what the screen shows. If unsure, hang up and ring back on a number from a bill or the back of your card.
What is the first thing to do if I already installed it?
Disconnect the device from the internet — turn off wi-fi or unplug the cable — before making any phone calls, so they can't watch you do it. Then ring your bank from a different phone using the number on your card, and tell them specifically that a scammer had remote access, not just that you're worried about a transaction.
Is uninstalling the program enough?
Not reliably. Scammers sometimes install additional software that persists after the obvious program is removed. Have the device checked properly by a technician, or ring the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 292 371, which is open 24 hours a day.
They asked me to buy gift cards. Is that ever legitimate?
No, in any context. No government agency, utility, telco, bank or legitimate business in Australia collects payment through retail gift cards. A request to buy iTunes, Google Play, Steam or supermarket gift cards and read out the numbers is one of the most reliable single indicators of a scam there is.
How can an older relative check a phone call like this?
They can't forward a call, but they can describe it. A scam-checking service accepts a typed description — "a man rang saying he was from NBN and wants me to install something" — and returns a plain verdict in seconds. That works while the caller is still on the line, which is when it matters.
A phone call can't be forwarded. It can be described.
Is it a scam? takes a typed description as readily as a screenshot — and answers in seconds, while the caller is still on the line. One Australian number, no app, and the family told when it's real.
See how it works