ANZ warns of scam calls impersonating the bank in Solomon Islands

ANZ is warning customers and the wider community in Solomon Islands to stay alert after reports of scammers pretending to be the bank and asking people for personal and banking information. The bank issued the warning on 23 October 2026, saying the callers are not only targeting ANZ customers.

Key facts

• Scammers are impersonating ANZ and requesting account numbers and identification or personal information
• The reported activity has mainly involved unexpected phone calls
• Reports indicate the calls are not limited to ANZ customers
• ANZ's advice: Stop, Check and Protect
• Anyone who has shared information or transferred money should contact ANZ as soon as possible

What is happening?

ANZ said the reported activity has primarily involved unexpected phone calls. Callers have asked people for account numbers and identification or personal information, including birth certificates and source of funds details, claiming they need it to update customer records.

Reports indicate the calls are not limited to ANZ customers, so people who do not bank with ANZ can also be contacted.

How do the scam calls work?

ANZ Head of Retail Pacific, Melanie Culling, said people should pause and verify any unexpected contact claiming to come from the bank. "Scammers can sound convincing and may create a sense of urgency," she said, adding that unexpected calls, messages or emails claiming to be from ANZ should be checked before anything is done.

ANZ said people should never share sensitive banking information such as a PIN, card security code or Visa Secure one-time passcodes, and should never transfer money to a so-called "safe" account at someone else's request. The bank also urged caution over unexpected requests to click links, visit external websites, download software or provide documents and personal information.

How should you respond?

ANZ may legitimately contact customers to update customer information or meet its customer identification requirements. If such a call arrives and its authenticity is unclear, ANZ says do not provide the information immediately. End the call and contact ANZ independently through an official ANZ contact channel to confirm the request.

The bank sets out three steps for customers to protect themselves:

• Stop: if something feels wrong, pause before acting
• Check: independently verify that the person contacting you is really from ANZ, using an official ANZ phone number or official banking channel rather than contact details supplied by the caller or message
• Protect: do not share sensitive banking or personal information, provide remote access to your device, or transfer money if there is any doubt

What this means for travellers

The warning covers the wider community in Solomon Islands, not only ANZ customers, so anyone receiving an unexpected call claiming to be from the bank should treat it with caution. Follow the Stop, Check and Protect steps before sharing anything, and use only official ANZ contact channels to confirm whether a request is genuine.

ANZ said anyone who believes they may have shared personal or banking information with a scammer, or transferred money as a result of a scam, should contact the bank as soon as possible through an official ANZ contact channel.