Protect yourself from scams
Super tends to be your largest asset after your home, and like your home, it needs protecting.
Super is often a target for scammers, these scammers may pose as financial advisers or claim to be from your bank or super fund. Their goal is usually to get to your money or steal your identity.
How to spot a scam?
Scammers can target you online, by phone, SMS or email. The majority of super scams from strangers tend to start with a call claiming to be from a financial or super service, and they may give you a variety of excuses to request information from you. Here are things to look out for:
- Offering to enable you to access your super savings early, before your preservation age.
- Offering to check if you are eligible for various benefits.
- Offer to invest your super into property.
- Offer to help you take 'control' of your super.
Be wary of callers who claim to be a financial adviser, a superannuation service or a government authority asking you about your super. If it doesn't look or sound right, it probably isn't.
What to do if you think you have been scammed
If you think your super is at risk of a scam, act quickly.
- If you are a REI Super member, call 1300 13 44 33
- Report a scam to:
Protect your super from scams
There are many simple ways to protect your super account:
- Ensure that all your personal and contact details are up to date, so that we're not sending information about your super to the wrong home or email address.
- Regularly check your superannuation transaction history for suspicious or fraudulent activity.
- Consider changing your communication preferences to receive correspondence by email rather than post.
- When reviewing your communication preferences consider receiving your annual superannuation statement by email. Not only will this help protect you from scams, but also help the environment.
Protect your identity data
- Never give any information about your superannuation or personal information to someone you don't trust, even if they are a relative, friend or claim to be from your super fund or bank.
- If they caller claims to be from your super fund or bank, hang up and check directly with the relevant organisation to verify their identity.
- Avoid using public computers and WiFi to access your online financial accounts.
- Remember to logout of your online financial accounts once you have finished.
- Make sure your computer has antivirus software installed, that it's working and up to date.
- Check the URL of websites. They should always start with https://. The 's' stands for secure and there should be a padlock symbol in the browser's address bar.
- Don't click on links or attachments in emails you weren't expecting or that look suspicious.
- Secure your letterbox.
- Be careful how you dispose of old documents that contain personal or sensitive information.
- Read our privacy policy to find out how we protect your personal information.
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The information contained in this article does not constitute financial product advice. However, to the extent that the information may be considered to be general financial product advice, REI Super advises that REI Super has not considered any individual person’s objectives, financial situation or particular needs. Individuals need to consider whether the advice is appropriate in light of their goals, objectives and current situation. Members should obtain and read the Product Disclosure Statement for REI Super before making any decisions. REI Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd ABN 68 056 044 770 AFSL 240569. RSE L 0000314 REI Super ABN 76 641 658 449 RSE R1000412 MySuper unique identifier 76641658449129. October 2022.