Is this text or call from Bendigo Bank a scam?
No. Bendigo Bank, part of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, is a legitimate Australian bank with a long community banking history. That trusted name is precisely what scammers borrow: fake 'verify your account' texts, phishing emails and imposter login pages dressed in Bendigo branding are the real threat, not the bank. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Bendigo Bank message from a fake.
Genuine Bendigo Bank links lead to bendigobank.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is exactly what a real Bendigo Bank message looks like, the scams currently circulating in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and a real example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real Bendigo Bank message looks like
Genuine messages from Bendigo Bank link to bendigobank.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Bendigo Bank never sends SMS from a standard mobile number or an unknown alphanumeric sender ID.
- Genuine communications from Bendigo Bank direct customers to log in only via the official Bendigo Bank app or by manually typing bendigobank.com.au.
- Bendigo Bank will never ask for your full password, PIN or one-time passcode via SMS, email or phone.
- Official Bendigo Bank messages use the exact domain bendigobank.com.au and do not include hyphens, extra words or subdomains.
- Bendigo Bank does not send urgent payment or verification links outside the secure app environment.
What Bendigo Bank will never do
- Ask for your full password, PIN or one-time passcode via SMS, email or phone (Bendigo Bank never will)
- Send urgent payment or verification links outside the secure app environment
- Text you from a standard mobile number or an unknown alphanumeric sender ID
- Direct you to log in anywhere other than the Bendigo Bank app or bendigobank.com.au typed by you
- Ask you to transfer money to a 'safe account'; no legitimate bank makes that request
Common Bendigo Bank scams
- SMS claiming to be from Bendigo Bank that urges the recipient to click a link to 'secure' or 'verify' their account.
- Emails pretending to be from Bendigo and Adelaide Bank that warn of suspicious activity and direct the user to a fake login page.
- Messages stating an account has been locked or a payment has failed, pressuring the recipient to enter credentials on an imposter site.
Red flags to watch for
- The message contains a shortened or lookalike link instead of directing you to manually enter bendigobank.com.au.
- The sender ID is a mobile number or an unexpected name rather than a verified Bendigo Bank channel.
- The text creates urgency about account lockouts, failed payments or security issues and demands immediate action.
- The message asks for login details, passcodes or personal information directly via SMS or email.
- The link domain contains extra words, hyphens or misspellings such as bendigo-bank-secure-login[.]example.
Bendigo Bank scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Bendigo Bank typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
Bendigo Bank: An unusual sign-in was detected on your account. Secure your access now at bendigo-verify-account[.]example to avoid restrictions.
What gives it away:
- Genuine Bendigo Bank communications direct you to the app or to type bendigobank.com.au yourself, never to a link in a text
- The domain carries hyphens and extra words, which the real bendigobank.com.au never does
- The vague 'avoid restrictions' warning is urgency theatre; nothing genuine is lost by ignoring the link and checking the app
Subject: Payment failure notice from Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. A scheduled payment could not be processed due to a verification issue. Confirm your login details at bendigo-bank-payments[.]example within 24 hours to release the payment.
What gives it away:
- Bendigo Bank never asks for your password or passcodes via email, and no failed payment is fixed by 'confirming login details' through a link
- The link is a lookalike domain rather than bendigobank.com.au
- The 24-hour deadline exists to rush you; real payment problems appear inside the app and wait for you
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Bendigo Bank text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Bendigo Bank
Bendigo Bank's real website is bendigobank.com.au and the official app is the Bendigo Bank app. Reach Bendigo Bank through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Don't tap the link, reply, or use any contact details supplied in the message
- Open the official Bendigo Bank app, or type bendigobank.com.au into your browser yourself, and check your account there; a real restriction or failed payment will be visible
- If doubt remains, call Bendigo Bank using contact details you find yourself on bendigobank.com.au, never a number from the message
If you have been scammed in Bendigo Bank's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- Call Bendigo Bank without delay, using contact details you find yourself on bendigobank.com.au or in the app; the bank can secure your account, block cards and attempt to stop transfers while there is still time
- Change your online banking password from the official app or by typing bendigobank.com.au, and update any other account where you reused it
- If you handed over identity documents such as a licence, passport or Medicare card, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below
- Forward the scam SMS to 7226 (spells SCAM) so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating Bendigo Bank
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Bendigo Bank? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Latest Bendigo Bank scams in 2026
Imposter campaigns wearing Bendigo Bank branding cycle between 'secure your account' texts, payment-failure emails signed as Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and lockout warnings that funnel victims to counterfeit login pages. Each variant is built on the same two ingredients: a hyphenated lookalike domain and a reason you supposedly cannot wait. The tell is structural rather than cosmetic, because the real bank only ever wants you inside its app or at bendigobank.com.au typed by your own hand. Make that the reflex, and every version of the scam, present and future, hits the same wall: you simply never arrive at the fake page.
Frequently asked questions
I got a text from Bendigo Bank with a link — is it a scam?
Bendigo Bank does not send links in SMS for login or verification. Delete the message and log in only by opening the official Bendigo Bank app or typing bendigobank.com.au yourself.
How do I know if a Bendigo Bank email is real?
Check that the sender address ends exactly with @bendigobank.com.au and that it does not ask you to click any links or enter login details. When in doubt, open the app directly instead.
What should I do if I clicked a fake Bendigo Bank link?
Change your password immediately from the official app, monitor your accounts for unusual activity, and report the message at scamwatch.gov.au or cyber.gov.au.
What is Bendigo Bank's real website?
The only genuine Bendigo Bank website is bendigobank.com.au, with no hyphens, extra words or unusual endings. Type it yourself or use the official Bendigo Bank app; treat any variation of the name in a link as an imposter site.
How do I report a Bendigo Bank scam?
Report it to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track the campaign, and forward scam texts to 7226 (spells SCAM). If money has left your account, call Bendigo Bank first using details from bendigobank.com.au, then report to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au).
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Bendigo Bank usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other bank names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Phishing scams: how scammers pose as trusted organisations (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Email scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a scam (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Bendigo Bank through an official channel.