I don't recognise the company that called me. Is it a scam?

Not necessarily, but treat it as one until you've checked. Hang up, find the company's number yourself, and call them back. A real company will never ask for a one-time code, remote access or a transfer to a "safe account".

I read out a code from a text message. What now?

Ring your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card. That code is usually what lets a scammer log in or approve a payment.

Can you check my devices after a scam?

Yes. We check computers, phones and tablets for anything the scammer left behind and can give you a written report for your bank. It's quoted per device before we start.

15 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

Unexpected call from your bank, telco or "tech support"? How to check it's real

A name you don't recognise, a problem you can't check, and a request to act now. Here is how to tell a real call from a scam in under a minute.

Every week someone asks us whether a call they got was real. Sometimes the caller named a company they had never heard of; sometimes it was "your bank", "Telstra" or "the NBN". The good news is you don't need to know who the caller really is. You only need to know what a genuine company will never ask you to do.

Three things a real company won't ask for

A code sent to your phone. One-time codes are how your bank confirms it's you. Anyone asking you to read one out is trying to log in as you or approve a payment.
Remote access to your computer. Banks, Telstra, the NBN and Microsoft do not ring you and ask you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or similar so they can "fix" something.
Moving money to keep it safe. There is no such thing as a "safe account". That request alone means it's a scam.

The one-minute check

Hang up. A genuine caller won't mind.
Look up the company's number yourself: the back of your card, a bill, or their official website. Don't use a number the caller gave you, and don't call back the number that rang you.
Ring that number and ask whether they contacted you.

Caller ID can be faked, so a familiar name or number on screen proves nothing. The callback is what proves it.

What usually happens next

Scammers who get a code or remote access move fast: new payees, transfers, sometimes changing your email password so the bank's warnings go to them. That's why the bank comes first. Once the money side is safe, the devices need checking: anything the scammer touched, plus any phone, tablet or laptop logged into the same email or banking.

How we help

We check each device for remote-access software, hidden email forwarding rules and anything else left behind, help you change passwords in the right order from a clean device, and can write up what we found for your bank. Device checks and clean-ups are in our $80–180 range per device, quoted before we start. See virus and scam removal, and the remote-access scam, and how to end the call for how these calls are built.

Want us to just handle it? Free diagnosis, fixed price, no fix no fee.

0423 680 596