Is this bill or text from NBN Co a scam?
No. NBN Co is the legitimate government-owned company that builds and operates Australia's wholesale broadband network. It never phones households directly, which is exactly why the 'NBN' cold call about disconnection, upgrades or remote access is one of Australia's most familiar phone scams. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real NBN Co message from a fake.
Genuine NBN Co links lead to nbnco.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 NBN Co 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 NBN Co message looks like
Genuine messages from NBN Co link to nbnco.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- NBN Co never phones households directly; all customer contact about connections or faults comes from your retail broadband provider.
- Genuine NBN Co communications use only the domain nbnco.com.au and never ask you to click links in unsolicited messages.
- NBN Co will not request remote-desktop access or passwords over the phone.
- Official NBN Co updates about network maintenance or outages appear on the nbnco.com.au website or through your provider’s own channels.
- NBN Co does not send SMS messages from short codes or unknown numbers; any such text is not from them.
What NBN Co will never do
- Cold-call you about your connection: all customer contact about faults or connections comes from your retail provider, because NBN Co never phones households directly
- Ask for remote access to your computer, or for your passwords, over the phone
- Send SMS from short codes or unknown numbers, or ask you to click links in unsolicited messages
- Threaten to cut off your service today unless you pay for an immediate upgrade (no legitimate network operator sells upgrades by cold call)
Common NBN Co scams
- Cold callers claiming your NBN service will be cut off unless you pay for an immediate upgrade.
- Scammers posing as NBN technicians who insist on remote access to your computer to ‘fix’ a non-existent fault.
- Emails or texts urging you to click a link to ‘book your free NBN installation’ or schedule a technician visit.
Red flags to watch for
- An unexpected phone call from someone claiming to represent NBN Co.
- Any request to install software or allow remote access to your computer.
- Urgent language stating your service will be disconnected today unless you act.
- Messages that arrive from a mobile number or short code rather than your retail provider.
- Links pointing to domains other than nbnco.com.au.
NBN Co scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating NBN Co typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
A caller says they are 'from the NBN' and your internet will be disconnected within 24 hours because of a fault or overdue network fees. To keep your connection, you must either pay for an urgent upgrade or let their 'technician' connect remotely to your computer to run checks.
What gives it away:
- NBN Co never phones households directly, so a call opening with 'this is the NBN' identifies itself as a scam before it says anything else
- Requests for remote access to your computer are a listed hallmark of this scam; NBN Co will not ask for remote-desktop access or passwords over the phone
- Real connection or fault issues reach you through your retail provider, with time to act, never as a same-day disconnection ultimatum
NBN: Your address is scheduled for a mandatory fibre upgrade. Book your free installation within 48 hours at nbn-upgrade-bookings[.]invalid or your connection will be interrupted.
What gives it away:
- NBN Co does not send SMS from short codes or unknown numbers, so a text claiming to be NBN is not from them
- The booking link leads to a lookalike domain rather than nbnco.com.au; genuine upgrade and maintenance information sits on the official site or comes through your provider
- The 48-hour 'book or lose your connection' framing is the pressure tactic; real infrastructure work is not scheduled by countdown text
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious NBN Co text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from NBN Co
- Hang up on the call, or leave the message unanswered; don't press keys, click links or call numbers it supplies
- Type nbnco.com.au into your browser yourself to check any genuine outage, upgrade or rollout information for your address
- Contact your retail broadband provider through their own app or website; if there were a real problem with your connection, it would come through them
- If you still want to check with NBN Co, use the contact form or live chat you reach by typing nbnco.com.au yourself
If you have been scammed in NBN Co's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you allowed remote access, disconnect that device from the internet, uninstall the remote-access software, run a security scan, and change your important passwords from a different device
- If you paid or shared card details, call your bank immediately, block the card and dispute the charges
- If you shared identity documents, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward any scam SMS to 7226 so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating NBN Co
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating NBN Co? 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 NBN Co scams in 2026
The 'NBN' scam remains overwhelmingly a phone operation: a cold caller announces your connection is faulty, compromised or about to be disconnected, then steers you toward paying for an urgent upgrade or granting a fake technician remote access to your computer. Text and email variants dangle free fibre-upgrade or installation bookings behind lookalike links. What never changes is the impossible premise: NBN Co is a wholesale operator that does not phone households, so the contact itself is the giveaway. The defeating habit is equally simple: hang up, and check anything connection-related with your own retail provider through their app or website.
Frequently asked questions
I received a call saying it’s from NBN Co — is it a scam?
Yes. NBN Co does not cold-call customers; any such call is a scam. Hang up and contact your retail provider through their official app or website.
NBN Co text message with a link — real or fake?
NBN Co does not send SMS messages. Delete the text and, if concerned, check your connection status by typing nbnco.com.au directly into your browser.
Someone claiming to be NBN tech support wants remote access — what should I do?
Never grant remote access to an unsolicited caller. Close the call and report it at scamwatch.gov.au.
How do I check if an email about NBN is genuine?
Only trust emails that come from an address ending in @nbnco.com.au and never click links; instead, go straight to nbnco.com.au yourself.
What is NBN Co's real website?
NBN Co's only official website is nbnco.com.au. Remember that NBN Co is the wholesale network operator: your bills, plan and fault reports all go through your retail broadband provider, not NBN Co. Anyone contacting you 'from the NBN' about your household account is impersonating them.
How do I report an NBN scam call or text?
Report it to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au), and forward any scam SMS to 7226 (spells SCAM) so carriers can block the sender. If you lost money or gave a caller remote access to your computer, also report it to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au) and call your bank straight away.
Related scam types
Scams impersonating NBN Co usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other telco names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Phone scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a scam (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a cybercrime or cyber security incident (Australian Cyber Security Centre)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with NBN Co through an official channel.