Security
Scams/Fraudulent e-mails claiming to be from Charity Bank
We are aware of scams being run by third parties allegedly sent by Charity Bank using the below names, none of which are connected to Charity Bank. If you receive a suspicious e-mail, please contact Charity Bank through the support system in online banking to verify its authenticity.
The current fraudulent names we are aware of being used are:
- Domain names:
- trumerit.com.au
- Charitybnk.org
- Charitybnk.com
- Company Names:
- Charity Bank International
- Charity Bank Plc
- Name:
- Charlotte Price, Executive Vice President
- Gillian Howell, Finance Director
- Michael Southwell, Finance Director
If you believe you have been affected by this or similar scams please report it to Scamwatch (even if located overseas), to your local police, and to us at Charity Bank through the support system in online banking.
If you have concerns about personal data that you may have inadvertently shared via a spam e-mail you should also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner onhttps://www.oaic.gov.au
Examples of scam e-mails can be found under:
https://scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=185839
https://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=170072
Fraudulent emails
Charity Bank, which operates in Australia only, is aware that fraudulent emails are being received by people in various parts of the world which purport to have been sent from an employee of Charity Bank. Recent examples include promises of inheritance or mobile telephones or other “rewards” in exchange for payment or personal data.
Customers should be alert to potential scams and make additional checks to confirm they are dealing with a genuine financial services firm and if they have the correct contact details.
If you receive an email that appears to be from Charity Bank and you want to verify it, do not act on it. Log in to online banking and check your secure messages: every genuine notification from us also appears there, and you can ask our support team to confirm it through the same channel.
Confirmation of Payee (CoP)
Confirmation of Payee (CoP) is a name checking service for Australian payments which Australian Payments Plus (AP+) launched in 2020. The aim of the service is to reduce certain types of fraud as well as misdirected payments.
When you make a one-off payment (in this case to fund your new Charity Bank savings account), set up a new regular payment or amend an existing payment, CoP lets you check you’re paying the right person or business.
Charity Bank Australia uses the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) service. You can read more about how it works and what this means to you on our dedicated CoP webpage. We continue to encourage you to please take due care and diligence when making payment by electronic transfer.
How we tell you your account is ready to fund:
We do not send account details by email. Once your new account is open and ready to be funded, we send a secure message to your online banking inbox. Genuine notifications from us only appear there, so you can always confirm a message is real by logging in.
The secure message includes your name, the product name of the account, your application reference number, and our BSB and your unique account number, together with guidance on how to use your nominated account to fund your Charity Bank savings account. This applies to personal, business, charity, trust and credit union applications alike.
You will have 14-calendar days from receipt of our notification and the details needed for creating and sending you funds follow the following format:
- Your account number: [confirmed by us to you]
- Our BSB [Charity Bank]
- Beneficiary name: [name of account holder individual/organisation]
- Payment reference: [application reference number]
Please make sure your bank correctly quotes the reference when they make a payment, otherwise it may be rejected and returned to you without interest. You will earn interest from the business day(s) on which the payment was received.
Should you require any support, send our Savings team a message through the support system in online banking. You can also find out more about our Savings team here.
The external links below provide further information on where to seek additional information and guidance on how to avoid fraud.
Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
If you suspect you have received a suspicious email, let us know through the support system in online banking, unless we have already notified you that you have been affected.
As a reminder of best practice, take a moment to stop and think before parting with your information and we urge you not to share personal details.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner – information about data protection and advice line:
To report spam email to the OAIC: https://www.oaic.gov.au
To view advice on identity theft: https://www.oaic.gov.au
To check whether your email account has been compromised: https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Website Cloning
Fraudulent websites can be set up that clone genuine websites. Charity Bank only operates from this website and its online banking.
The names we are currently aware of being used are:
- Website clone address:
- trumerit.com.au
How to avoid fraud
The external links below provide further information on where to seek additional information and guidance on how to avoid fraud.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission: https://moneysmart.gov.au/check-and-report-scams
Please refer to the website of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for more information about how to deal with scams.
Scamwatch: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au
The national fraud and internet crime reporting centre.
Moneysmart on scams: https://moneysmart.gov.au
Useful tips to protect yourself from scams and identity theft.
CHOICE scam alerts: https://www.choice.com.au
Free alerts to keep you updated on the latest scams circulating online and on social media
