An unrecognised card charge: what should you check first?

Open the bank channel yourself and protect access

If a card charge looks suspicious, do not use a link or phone number in an alert about it. Open your bank app or type the bank address yourself. Use the issuer's card-lock control if available and appropriate while you check, or contact the bank through the number on the card.

ANZ tells its customers they can temporarily block a card while investigating and should contact the bank immediately if they believe a transaction resulted from a scam. Those are ANZ procedures, not a promise that every bank uses the same controls. This guide is educational and the official links below pay us no commission.

Source: ANZ — Dispute a transaction

Check the merchant label and transaction status

An unfamiliar descriptor is not by itself proof of fraud. Check the trading name, location, subscription history, receipt and any additional cardholder. Also identify whether the item is pending or processed.

ANZ says merchant names can differ from the business name and that pending transactions cannot be investigated until they are processed. If the card still appears at risk, its page says a customer can block the card while waiting rather than ignoring the entry.

Source: ANZ — Dispute a transaction

Build a five-field evidence record

Record the processed date, exact transaction description, amount in AUD, account or card concerned and the reason it remains unrecognised. Add receipts, cancellation emails and merchant contact notes only when they are relevant. Preserve screenshots without exposing them in public messages.

ANZ's internet-banking instructions specifically identify the account, processed date, description and amount as information to note before lodging a transaction dispute. A complete record helps separate duplicate billing, a delayed merchant name and a charge you did not authorise.

Source: ANZ — Dispute a transaction

Treat an alert as a separate phishing question

A real unfamiliar charge and a fake bank message can arrive at the same time. Scamwatch explains that phishing links may collect card or bank details that are then used for unauthorised transactions, and that convincing bank impersonation messages can apply pressure to confirm a transaction.

Never enter credentials merely to check whether the message is genuine. Verify the account activity inside a channel you opened independently. If the message caused you to disclose card or login details, tell the bank that exposure occurred as well as reporting the charge.

Source: Scamwatch — Phishing scams

Report the processed charge promptly

If the transaction is processed and still unrecognised after the merchant checks, follow your own issuer's dispute route as soon as possible. ANZ states that time limits apply and provides app, internet-banking and phone paths. Your bank may request different evidence or use different steps.

Your next step is to save the five fields, secure the card through the official channel and lodge the correct report. A dispute is an investigation request, not a guarantee of temporary credit, refund timing or outcome.

Source: ANZ — Dispute a transaction · Scamwatch — Phishing scams

Changes to this guide

2 October 2026: First publication after government scam guidance and issuer procedure review, counterexample testing and cross-network originality screening.