6 March 2026

Welcome to the March edition of Consumer connect. This month we’re sharing important new initiatives designed to keep Australians safer, better informed and connected.

Stronger telco protections for people experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence

In new rules that came in on 1 January this year, Australia’s larger telcos must now take extra steps to support people experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence.

What large telcos must now do:

• No disconnection for 30 days
  Gives people time to get support without worrying their phone will be cut off.
• Contact the customer safely in the way they choose
  For example, through a nominated email or number. This helps prevent unsafe contact that could be seen by a perpetrator.
• Extra privacy and account security
  For example, improved processes to limit who can view customer information and extra controls like PINs and passwords to protect against unauthorised access.
• Staff trained to provide appropriate support
  So people get help from someone who understands the risks and your rights.
• Urgent handling of complaints when safety is at risk
  Issues that could impact safety must be prioritised.

Smaller telcos (those with fewer than 30,000 services in operation), must also follow these rules from 1 April this year.

Building on earlier protections put in place in July 2025, all telcos must already:

• reverse inappropriate disconnections
• never ask customers to deal directly with the person causing harm
• publish clear information about support for people experiencing abuse.

More information and a fact sheet are available on the ACMA website.

If you or someone you know needs confidential support, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) any time.

Smartnumbers: what they are and how scammers use them

Smartnumbers are memorable phone numbers like 1300 12 12 12 or numbers that spell words like 13 ZOOS. Businesses use them because they’re easy to recognise.

But scammers are increasingly using lookalike smartnumbers to pretend to be trusted companies - for example, airlines or travel operators.

How consumers can protect themselves:

• Check the number format
  Make sure the country code and number match what’s listed on the organisation’s official website.
• Be careful before paying over the phone - even if you called the number
  Scammers can create urgency to push you into paying immediately. Take a moment before making any payment and check the details again.
• Report suspicious activity to Scamwatch
  Act quickly and report anything unusual to Scamwatch.
• Be cautious with using numbers from “sponsored” search results
  Ads and the numbers in them can look legitimate but link to scammers.

If you think you’ve been attacked or targeted by scammers, contact your telco and bank straight away. If your identity has been stolen, IDCARE can help.

Additional support is available from Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (1300 224 636).

New SMS scam protections arriving in July

Scammers often send text messages that look like they’re from trusted organisations such as myGov, AusPost or the ATO using what’s called a sender ID (the name that appears at the top of the message).

These text messages are often used by legitimate businesses including banks, government agencies, delivery services, doctor’s surgeries, chemists and vets.

A new national initiative starting in July will help block scammers from impersonating genuine businesses using these branded sender IDs.

What this means for consumers

• From 1 July 2026, if you receive a text using a sender ID you can be more confident it’s legitimate.
• Text messages marked “Unverified” should be treated with caution - they may be scams or from a business that hasn’t registered their sender ID.

Your telco will contact you about the changes shortly before and after they occur.

You don’t need to do anything now unless you are a business or sole trader that uses sender IDs - in which case you should read the information here.  

Find more information about the SMS Sender ID Register. 

Help is available if you’re struggling with your telco bill

The start of the year can be financially tough - paying off gift and holiday spending, back‑to‑school costs and rising living expenses all hit at once.

Telcos have clear responsibilities to help customers who are experiencing financial hardship, including those who need support with bill payments.

Under the rules telcos must:

• have a clear and easy‑to‑find payment assistance policy on its website and app
• offer practical options to help you stay connected; for example deferring payment, moving to a lower cost plan or discounting a bill
• focus on keeping services on, not cutting them off
• assess hardship applications within 5 business days and notify you of the outcome within 2 business days.

If you’re doing it tough it’s important to contact your telco as soon as you can.

Find out more information about getting help from your telco if you're experiencing financial hardship.

Disclosure: Prepared with support from Microsoft Copilot Chat. All content has been carefully reviewed and validated by ACMA staff.

acma.gov.au