ANZ Warns Scam Coaching Is Helping Victims Evade Bank Checks

Scam coaching marks a shift from one-off deception to sustained manipulation. Criminals spend days or weeks building trust, then give victims scripts, cover stories and instructions for misleading bank staff about a transfer’s purpose. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group said the tactic is appearing in fake investment schemes, including cryptocurrency offers, where victims may be pushed to distrust their bank and move substantial sums — in some cases their life savings — to another account.

ANZ warned customers on Aug. 10, 2026, after branch and telephone staff encountered people using rehearsed answers, sometimes while receiving real-time instructions through headphones or a concealed phone. Scammers may tell victims to deny receiving third-party help and claim they conducted their own investment research. ANZ said customers have repeated coached lines even after its Falcon monitoring system flagged suspicious transactions. The bank disclosed no aggregate loss figure, but urged anyone instructed to mislead bank staff to stop contact immediately.