School bank details changed? Check before paying
Pause the payment and contact the school through its official website. If you have already paid, contact the sending bank immediately.
Key points
- 1A real email account can be compromised
- 2Find a separate official contact
- 3Use your own payment instructions
- 4Already paid? Contact the sending bank
1Check outside the email thread
A matching name, logo and amount do not verify the bank account.
Scammers can imitate domains or compromise genuine email accounts and alter bank details and contact information.
Pause unexpected account changes, urgent demands or requests for secrecy. Tell the person actually making the payment to stop too.
Keep the original message, attachments and received time. Use a contact route obtained separately from the message.
2Find the right school team
Type the school website address yourself and find student services or finance.
Ask whether the school issued the change, when it takes effect, which fees it covers and where to obtain your payment instructions.
At the University of Melbourne, Stop 1 can help verify university communications. At another institution, use its own services or finance team.
If the portal and message differ, ask the responsible team to explain and keep the written reply, time and case number.
3Pay using your own documents
Give the actual payer the complete verified instructions.
Check the recipient, currency, amount, payment identifier and due date. Melbourne provides payment details in the relevant personal fee documents.
A school may authorise a third-party payment service. Reach it through the school's official payment page and follow your own instructions.
If the deadline is close, explain the concern and ask about payment arrangements. Obtain explicit approval for an extension and keep it with the receipt.
4If you already paid
The account holder should contact the sending bank to seek a stop, recall or trace.
Use the official banking app, website or number on the card. Contact the bank first, then supply the transaction details and original message.
Tell the school as well so it can check receipt and the fee balance. Record the bank's case number and follow-up; recovery depends on the transaction.
If you entered a password, change it through the real official service and enable multi-factor authentication. Tell the bank about exposed banking details.
5Report and follow up separately
The bank handles the transaction, the school checks fees, and ReportCyber receives cybercrime reports.
Scamwatch accepts scam and suspicious-contact reports. Keep report numbers while continuing to follow up with the bank.
Be wary of unsolicited recovery offers asking for an advance fee. Use independent official contacts even if the caller knows transaction details.
A small test transfer only shows that an account can receive money. Ask the school to verify ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trust a bank-account change in an existing email thread?
A matching name, logo and amount do not verify the bank account. Scammers can imitate domains or compromise genuine email accounts and alter bank details and contact information. Pause unexpected account changes, urgent demands or requests for secrecy. Tell the person actually making the payment to stop too. Keep the original message, attachments and received time. Use a contact route obtained separately from the message.
How do I verify a payment notice independently with the university?
Type the school website address yourself and find student services or finance. Ask whether the school issued the change, when it takes effect, which fees it covers and where to obtain your payment instructions. At the University of Melbourne, Stop 1 can help verify university communications. At another institution, use its own services or finance team. If the portal and message differ, ask the responsible team to explain and keep the written reply, time and case number.
What should I do if I have already paid a suspicious account?
The account holder should contact the sending bank to seek a stop, recall or trace. Use the official banking app, website or number on the card. Contact the bank first, then supply the transaction details and original message. Tell the school as well so it can check receipt and the fee balance. Record the bank's case number and follow-up; recovery depends on the transaction. If you entered a password, change it through the real official service and enable multi-factor authentication. Tell the bank about exposed banking details.
Should I keep contacting the bank and university after reporting a scam?
The bank handles the transaction, the school checks fees, and ReportCyber receives cybercrime reports. Scamwatch accepts scam and suspicious-contact reports. Keep report numbers while continuing to follow up with the bank. Be wary of unsolicited recovery offers asking for an advance fee. Use independent official contacts even if the caller knows transaction details. A small test transfer only shows that an account can receive money. Ask the school to verify ownership.
Sources (checked 2 Nov 2026)
- University of Melbourne: Scams
- University of Melbourne: Pay your fees
- Scamwatch: What to do if you have been scammed
- Australian Cyber Security Centre: Submit a report
- ASIC: Follow-up scams offering to recover lost funds
This is general scam-prevention information for school payments in Australia, not legal advice. The school verifies its accounts and your fees; the sending bank handles the transaction.