Scamwardenby Digital Safety & Recovery Australia

Who called me from this number? Australia's free scam call check.

A missed call from a number you don't know? Answer eight quick questions about the call and get a scam risk read-out with safe next steps. Free, private, and you never type the number in.

About the call

Answer what you can. If you're not sure, choose "Not sure" and keep going. The score is worked out on your device; nothing you answer is stored or sent anywhere.

1. Did they claim to be from a bank, Telstra or NBN, Amazon, the ATO, myGov, or the police?

Scam callers borrow trusted names because people comply with them. The real organisations rarely cold-call, and never mind you hanging up to call back on their official number.

2. Did they ask you to install anything or give them remote access to your computer or phone?

Apps like AnyDesk or TeamViewer let a caller control your device. No bank, telco, or government agency asks for this on a call they made to you.

3. Did they ask for payment, or for your card, bank, or account details?

Especially gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a transfer to a "safe account". Moving money to a "safe account" is always a scam; banks never ask for it.

4. Did they threaten you (arrest, fines, deportation, or cutting off a service) unless you acted now?

Threat plus deadline is the signature of a scam call. Real agencies write to you first and give you time.

5. Did they ask you to read out a code that was texted to your phone?

That code is the key to one of your accounts. No legitimate caller ever needs it; asking for it means they are logging in as you right now.

6. Was it a recorded voice, or a missed call from an overseas number you don't recognise?

Robocalls ("your NBN will be disconnected…") and one-ring overseas missed calls (the "wangiri" scam, hoping you call back a premium line) are almost never legitimate.

7. Did they pressure you to stay on the line, keep the call secret, or not talk to your bank or family?

Isolation is a tactic: if no one can warn you, the scam keeps working. Anyone genuine is happy for you to hang up and check.

8. Did the number they showed not match the organisation's real number, or did they dodge questions about calling back?

Caller ID can be faked ("spoofed"), so a familiar-looking number proves nothing. But a caller who resists "I'll hang up and call the official number" is telling you something.

Your privacy: this page never asks you to enter the phone number or any personal details. You answer yes-or-no questions about the call, the score is worked out on your device, and nothing is stored or sent anywhere.

How to work out who really called

Honest answer first: Australia has no public reverse-lookup directory, and websites that claim to name a number's owner are guessing or selling data. What actually works:

Want to understand what these searches can and cannot reveal, and why paid reverse lookup services disappoint in Australia? Read our guide to reverse phone lookup in Australia.

Official help and reporting

These are the official Australian services. They are free and they are the ones to trust:

Common questions

Can Scamwarden tell me exactly who called from a number?
No. Australia has no public reverse-lookup directory for mobile numbers, and sites that claim to name the owner of a number are guessing or selling data. What you can do: search the exact number in quotes, check the organisation's official website for a "did we call you" page, and only ever call back on a number you look up yourself.
Should I call an unknown missed number back?
Not if it is an overseas number you don't recognise. One-ring "wangiri" scams leave a missed call hoping you'll ring back a premium-rate line. If the call mattered, the caller will leave a message or try again. If it claims to be your bank or a government agency, call them on their official number instead.
What is a wangiri or one-ring missed call scam?
A scam where your phone rings once from an overseas number so you will call back out of curiosity. The return call goes to a premium-rate service that charges by the minute. Don't call back; block the number and report it to Scamwatch.
How do I stop scam calls?
Block numbers as they call, turn on your phone's built-in silence-unknown-callers or spam-filter feature, and register on the Do Not Call Register (donotcall.gov.au); legitimate telemarketers must respect it, so what remains is more clearly scam traffic. Report persistent scam calls to Scamwatch.
I got a missed call from this number and no message was left. What should I do?
Nothing, yet. A caller with real business leaves a voicemail, texts, or tries again; silence usually means an autodialler. One ring from an overseas number is the wangiri pattern, so don't call back. If the number keeps calling, run the call through the check on this page and block it.
Is there a free way to check who called me in Australia?
The check on this page is free and stays on your device. No free public directory names the owner of an Australian number, so the useful checks are: search the exact number in quotes, wait for a voicemail, and look up the organisation's official website for a did-we-call-you page.
How do I check if a phone number is a scam?
Check the behaviour of the call, not just the number: caller ID can be faked, so a number that looks clean proves nothing. Search the exact number in quotes, answer the eight questions on this page about what the caller did, and verify with the organisation on a number you look up yourself. Our scam number check guide walks through it step by step.