Protect yourself against super scams and fraud

First Super is committed to protecting members from all forms of financial crime, including scams and fraud.

With increased financial transactions and account access occurring online, it’s increasingly more important to be cautious about safeguarding your personal information.

How to spot a genuine message from First Super

First Super takes the security of your data incredibly seriously. Keeping your account and information safe is a top priority. This is why, when you contact us, we always ask several questions to make sure you are who you say you are.

From time to time, First Super may contact you as part of a campaign or to talk to you about your account, or one of our financial advisers may call you, but we will never ask:

For your login details
Multi-factor authentication code
To provide remote access to your device or ask you to download software

Never share your account or login details with anyone who contacts you.

If you’re ever in doubt, end the call or delete the email and contact Member Services on 1300 360 988 or mail@firstsuper.com.au to check.

Don’t use the phone number or email address on the suspicious email or SMS.

How do I spot a scam or suspicious communication?

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC’s) ScamWatch, a scam is:

‘When someone deceives you into providing personal or financial information so they can steal from you’

This is different to fraud, which is where a person ‘dishonestly obtains a benefit or causes loss’, but you may or may not be aware the conduct is occurring.

Examples of scams and fraud in super

ASIC’s MoneySmart website includes a list of superannuation-related scams that can occur, such as:

Phishing scams for your personal details
Encouraging you to open a self-managed super fund; or
Offering to get you access to your super early

How do I protect myself from a super scam?

Don’t give personal information to anyone if you are unsure about a message
Fake emails can contain harmful links or malicious attachments intended to do damage. Watch out for misspelled words, images or pictures that don’t look quite right, unfamiliar sender addresses, suspicious attachments, or requests for your personal information
Use a long, unique, and strong password for each one of your online accounts or services. Do not reuse the same password on multiple sites. Consider using a password management tool to generate and store your secure passwords.
Do not click on any links in an email you receive from a company or person that you’re not expecting or haven’t signed up for without first checking via a different source that they’re real
Keep your login details secret, and don’t share them with anyone. We will never ask you to tell us your password
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to work for First Super that makes you suspicious, contact us to talk about it.
Look out for your annual statement from us, which is usually sent to you via email and/or post (depending on what you’ve asked for) from late September and monitor your financial and super accounts regularly online
Read all the correspondence you receive from us and note any changes to your account. If you receive notification of a change to your details that you didn’t make, contact us as soon as possible
Let us know if any of your personal documents like your passport or driver’s licence are lost or stolen, your phone has been stolen, or your computer/email account has been compromised
Store your First Super statements and other personal documents in a secure place
Securely destroy or shred any unnecessary documents that contain your personal information

What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

Report the scam

If you believe yourself or someone you know has been subject to a scam, you can:

Report it to us by contacting Member Services on 1300 360 988 or email our dedicated scams address, scams.fraud@firstsuper.com.au
Update your passwords immediately to secure your accounts
Report it to ScamWatch
Report it to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)

Remember to include important information such as

Date of incident
Screenshot of any suspicious communications
Your preferred contact method if you wish to be reached

Common super scams to be aware of

Unexpected calls from someone claiming to represent First Super, the ATO, Services Australia, or other government bodies.
Urgent pressure tactics urging you to act immediately or share personal details.
Offers that sound too good to be true, such as early access to your super or guaranteed high returns through a self-managed super fund (SMSF).
Fear-based threats, like warnings that your account will be frozen or that you’re under investigation.
Fake promises of government benefits or financial assistance, designed to trick you into sharing sensitive information.

Additional resources

National Anti-Scam Centre’s ScamWatch webpage
IDCARE’s Learning Centre – Information including identify theft; and
Australian Information Commissioner website for further information on protecting personal information.