ANZ warns of ‘scam-coaching’ training victims to lie

ANZ has warned of a rise in “scam‑coaching”, where criminals train victims to deceive bank staff with scripts and cover stories so the victims will transfer money into fake investment accounts.

The bank describes scam‑coaching as a long‑term tactic. Offenders build trust over days or weeks and prepare victims to hide the true purpose of transactions, to ignore warnings and to lie when questioned.

ANZ reports the technique appears across several scam types but is most common in cryptocurrency investment fraud. Victims are pressured to move large amounts, sometimes their life savings, into accounts controlled by criminals.

Scammers may isolate victims, create distrust in the bank and demand secrecy. They instruct people to claim there is no third‑party help and that they have done their own research before making transfers.

Bank staff have seen customers enter branches with headphones on or phones tucked in pockets while receiving real‑time instructions on what to say to employees.

Ben Verhoef, ANZ’s scams lead, warned: “Scammers work hard to gain a victim’s trust — sometimes so much that they convince people to lie to bank staff if questioned about their transactions. If someone tells you not to be honest with your bank or instructs you on what to say, that is a major warning sign.”

ANZ said routine fraud checks and verification questions can feel intrusive or cause delays but urged customers to be truthful because those checks are designed to protect them from losing money.

The bank did not provide figures on losses linked to scam‑coaching. ANZ noted staff are being briefed to spot behaviour consistent with coached responses and to intervene where possible.