According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams in 2023. With cybercrime always a threat, it’s important to know what to look out for and what to do if you’re scammed.
HOW TO
IDENTIFY SCAMS
Report a scam
To gain your trust, scammers may pretend to be from Club Marine. If you believe you’ve interacted with a scam relating to Club Marine, call us on 1300 00 CLUB (2582) or send us an email.
If you’re worried that your personal details are at risk, consider these actions:
- Check your bank accounts for any suspicious activity
- Tell relevant contacts, such as joint account holders or your workplace
How to spot a scam
Scammers aim to find ways to get your personal details, and they can be convincing. Here are some examples.
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Email scams
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Phone and SMS scams
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Repairer scams
Phishing emails aim to trick you into giving the scammer your personal details. They may ask you to click on links to fake websites or download malicious software.
What to watch out for
- A strange web address (URL) when you hover your cursor over a link in the email
- Instructions to click on links or download attachments
- Attempts to rush, scare, or entice you
- Incorrect or outdated branding or spelling
Lookalike email addresses or display names that impersonate Club Marine For example, these aren't genuine Club Marine email addresses:
Genuine Club Marine email addresses include:
✓ @clubmarine.com.au
Known email scams
Fake Club Marine investment products:
Scammers promoting a non-existent bond using counterfeit materials. These emails aren’t associated with Club Marine.
False claims based on current events:
Scammers may send false information about bushfires, floods and other catastrophes. They aim to deceive and exploit vulnerable people who may have genuine claims with us. These emails may ask for personal information, passwords, bank details, or demand an urgent payment.
What to do if you recieve a scam email
If you receive a scam email, delete it. If you’re worried, call us on 1300 00 CLUB (2582) or send us an email right away.
Scammers may pretend to be from companies you know and trust. They may call you or send a text message (SMS) asking for your details.
What to watch out for
- An unexpected caller or text asking you to confirm your personal information
- Someone asking you to make an urgent payment
- An SMS with suspicious links
- An SMS or phone call that threatens you in some way if you don’t do what they’re telling you to do
Known phone and SMS scams
SMS: Scammers may send text messages asking for payments (for example $200) to avoid debt recovery action. These messages may include details about your workplace or Club Marine Insurance you’ve bought. They may ask you to click links or call phone numbers that aren’t anything to do with us.
Phone calls: Scammers may pretend to be from Club Marine. They may ask you to:
- Verify or update your details or they’ll cancel your policy
- Give access to your computer
- Provide your bank details, personal information, or your password
- Download an app on your device
- Transfer money to avoid consequences such as debt recovery, or cancelled policies or cancelled payouts
What to do if you recieve a phone or SMS scam
If you receive a scam call or SMS, hang up or delete it. If you’re worried, call us on 1300 00 CLUB (2582) or send us an email right away.
These scams involve unauthorised businesses or people contacting you to repair your boat. Under the terms of your Club Marine Pleasure Craft Insurance Policy, we’ll authorise repairs as part of our claims process. To avoid these scams, don’t sign any repair documents without talking to us first.
What to watch out for
- Unknown contacts: people or repairers contacting you about your claim, where you’re unsure if they’re from Club Marine.
- Unauthorised documents: documents approving repairs, storage, quotes, or other boat repair information.
- Incorrect Club Marine contacts: websites or phone numbers that may not be correct for Club Marine.
Here’s how we’ll handle your claim
If a scammer targets you, understanding our claims process may help you spot that something’s not right.
- Once you’ve reported the accident to us and we’ve accepted your claim, we’ll talk through the repair options with you.
- When you lodge your claim, you can choose your own repairer.1
- We may also pay you the reasonable cost of repairs or your boat’s agreed or market value.
Known repairer scams
Unauthorised charges: this involves third-party businesses asking you to sign repair documents. They might ask you to approve storage costs, admin fees, or other costs that your policy may not cover.
Fake Club Marine website listings: third-party businesses misrepresenting themselves as Club Marine in search results. For example, you may see results for “Club Marine claims” or “Club Marine boat insurance claims”. In fake listings, these links may take you to non-Club Marine call centres or websites that ask you for personal information.
We strongly recommend you check website details carefully and only click on links with the official Club Marine domain (www.clubmarine.com.au).
To help you spot scam websites, here is an example
Fake Club Marine website listings: third-party businesses misrepresenting themselves as Club Marine in search results. For example, you may see results for “Club Marine claims” or “Club Marine boat insurance claims”. In fake listings, these links may take you to non-Club Marine call centres or websites that ask you for personal information.
We strongly recommend you check website details carefully and only click on links with the official Club Marine domain (www.clubmarine.com.au).
To help you spot scam websites, here is an example
What to do if you receive a repairer scam
If you’re contacted by a repairer scam, call us on 1300 00 CLUB (2582) or send us an email right away.
Your privacy is important
It’s common for scammers to use a technique called social engineering to find your personal information. This involves a scammer searching the internet to find personal details about you. Then they may use these details to contact you and try to gain your trust.
We don’t disclose your personal information unless legally required to do so. For more information, visit our Privacy Policy page.
How to check your Club Marine contact is genuine
We may call you to talk about your policy or insurance refund. When we call, we might need to ask you for some information to verify your identity. That’s how we make sure we’re speaking to the right person.
If you’re unsure about the caller, you can call us back to make sure you’re talking to us.
Remember, we’ll never ask you for your two factor authentication (2FA) codes or passwords.
To find the right contact number for your query, visit our Contact us page.
Resources
To find out more about scams, or get further support, visit the following websites:
eSafety
eSafety is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety. It helps Australians stay safe online.
Scamwatch
Scamwatch, run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), can help you spot, avoid, and report scams.
IDCARE
IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service. If you’re worried about any misuse of your online identity, IDCARE can help you.
Any advice here does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply. Before making a decision about this insurance, consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)/Policy Document and Supplementary PDS (if applicable). Where applicable, the PDS/Policy Document, Supplementary PDS and Target Market Determination (TMD) for this insurance are available on this website. We do not provide any form of advice if you call us to enquire about or purchase a product.
Club Marine Limited (ABN 12 007 588 347), AFSL 236916 (Club Marine) issues this insurance and handles and settles claims as agent for the insurer Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (ABN 15 000 122 850) AFSL 234708 (Allianz). Club Marine is a related body corporate of Allianz. Copyright © 2025 Allianz Australia Limited.