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I paid a scammer. What do I do right now?

Call your bank immediately and ask them to attempt a recall or trace on the payment — speed is the single biggest factor in getting money back. Then report it to Scamwatch and the police (ReportCyber), warn anyone else in your business who pays invoices, and change any email passwords that may have been compromised.

First hour: call your bank

Do this before anything else. Banks can sometimes freeze or recall funds that are still sitting in the receiving account, but scam accounts are usually emptied within hours. Every minute matters.

Ask specifically for a recall or trace on the transaction, and get a reference number for the report.

  • Phone your bank's fraud line — do not use email or a web form.
  • Give them the exact date, amount, BSB and account number you paid.
  • Ask them to contact the receiving bank to freeze the funds.
  • Ask for a written reference number for your report.

Then: report it properly

Reporting does two things — it creates the paper trail your insurer or accountant will need, and it feeds intelligence that helps stop the same account being used on someone else.

  • Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) — the national scam reporting service.
  • ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au) — the police reporting channel for cybercrime.
  • Your insurer, if you hold cyber or crime cover.
  • Your accountant or bookkeeper, so the payment is not reconciled as legitimate.

Assume the email account is compromised

Most payment redirection scams start with someone reading email — either yours or your supplier's. If a fake invoice or bank-change request landed in your inbox and it looked genuine, treat the mailbox as untrusted until proven otherwise.

  • Change the password on the email account that received the invoice.
  • Turn on two-factor authentication on that account today.
  • Check for mail forwarding rules you did not create — this is the classic sign of a compromised mailbox.
  • Tell the real supplier. Their system may be the one that was breached.

Stop the next one

Businesses that get hit once are very often targeted again, because the attacker now knows your payment run, your suppliers, and who signs off. The fix is a check that happens before money moves, every time — not a reminder to be careful.

RILLA Shield auto-scans invoices and payee details before a payment is released, flags when a supplier's bank details change, and can hold a pay run automatically when something does not add up.

Common questions

Can I get my money back after paying a scammer?

Sometimes. If you contact your bank fast enough and the funds are still in the receiving account, the bank may be able to recall them. Once the money has been moved on, recovery becomes much harder. There is no guarantee either way, which is why speed matters more than anything else.

Who do I report a payment scam to in Australia?

Report to your bank first, then to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au and to police via ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au. If your business holds cyber or crime insurance, notify your insurer as well.

Should I tell my supplier?

Yes. If the fake invoice or bank-change email appeared to come from them, their email system may have been compromised, which means their other customers are at risk too.

Make the check automatic

RILLA Shield scans invoices and payee details before payment, flags supplier bank changes, and can hold a pay run automatically when something looks wrong.

See how it works

Read next

How do I verify a supplier's bank details?How do I spot a fake invoice?

Last updated 22 August 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice.