How to establish customer trust in the scam call era

Scam calls are now a persistent daily threat for many Australians—an escalation powered by the evolution of AI, voice cloning, and data breaches. With 3.1% of Australians (roughly 675,000 people) experiencing a scam in 2023–24, and those affected losing nearly $319 million altogether, customers are becoming suspicious of even the most legitimate caller.

It’s a dramatic decline in trust, as 42% of Australians are now less likely to answer phone calls altogether—putting pressure on businesses to evolve, not just technologically, but in how they establish credibility when calling their customers.

Scam calls are increasingly hard to identify

Scammers have always relied on impersonation, but their technology has made significant advancements in recent years. Fraudulent calls are now masked by almost undetectable tools, like AI-generated voices, local phone number replication, and IVR systems that mimic healthcare clinics or bank menus.

Criminals have been using AI to produce ‘deepfakes’, impersonations of real people that can be generated with just three seconds of audio from a voicemail or website video. These scams often start with what seems like a routine request for account confirmation or unpaid fees—only to end in identity theft or drained bank accounts.

“Scammers have evolved massively,” Site Director at TSA Group, Daniel Herold explained. “Five years ago, the number would be international and immediately flagged. Now it could be a number from your local state.”

The business impact: Damaged trust, declining answer rates

These scam calls are having a serious impact on thousands of Australians; however, they’re also reducing customer trust in phone call communication. And for companies relying on outbound calls to manage customer experience—like confirming appointments, resolving disputes, or managing sensitive accounts—this represents a huge challenge.

When people assume calls are from a scammer before even picking up the phone, customer service professionals never get a chance to prove themselves. Mr Herold sees this firsthand, “We often receive customer pushback or customers not even answering… It’s harder than ever to even get the opportunity to verify who we are.”

Strategies for establishing customer trust

Contact them before making the call 

According to Mr Herold, sending a pre-call text or email gives customers context about who is calling and why, so that the phone call can begin naturally. However, businesses should take precautions to ensure their messages or emails are clearly recognisable and legitimate. They should include official branding, consistent language, and alternative contact options—such as a verified call-back number or secure live chat link.

Prioritise explaining caller identity 

The first few seconds of a call are crucial. Customer service agents may need to adjust their usual conversation flow so that they can immediately state their name, role, and the business they represent. They should also connect the call to past customer activity, as Mr Herold says, “The real key purpose is explaining why you’re calling, and that’s usually something they’ve done with that organisation previously.”

Implement real-time authentication tools 

Mr Herold also suggests using multi-factor verification techniques that customers already know and trust, like text authentication or voice biometrics. Some organisations also offer live chat-based ID validation, where the customer can check an agent’s credentials in real-time via the company website.

Many high-profile companies are already prioritising this kind of security measure and introducing tools like Westpac’s new in-app calling feature or Telstra’s Scam Protect tool—which blocks malicious calls at the network level.

Educate customers about identifying scam calls 

Helping customers learn how to recognise scams and verify calls not only empowers them, it also means they’re more likely to trust calls from legitimate customer service agents. This sort of education can be provided via website resources like FAQs, scam warning banners, and security advice articles. Mr Herold recommends guiding customers to question the purpose of a call, authenticate the agent by asking where they’re calling from and why, validate the number through official channels, or call back using an official number.

Key red flags customers should look out for:

• Unexpected contact
• A strong sense of urgency
• Requests to transfer money to a ‘safe’ account
• Requests to download apps or software, or give someone access to a device
• Potential consequences for not taking action

The future of call verification

As scams continue to dismantle public trust in phone communication, Australia is ramping up efforts to restore legitimacy by introducing legislation like the Scams Prevention Framework. Since its implementation in February 2025, telcos, banks, and digital platforms have been legally required to prevent and report scams—or face penalties up to $50 million. The goal: to cut off scammers before they reach consumers, protecting Australians from the personal and financial risks of scams and allowing legitimate businesses to regain credibility.

On the tech front, telcos are currently trialling the Australian-developed AI tool Apate, which aims to disrupt the scam-calling business model by using realistic ‘victim bots’ to engage scammers, wasting their time and collecting valuable data. These innovations are backed by the National Anti-Scam Centre, which is investing in a future-facing approach that explores real-time scam detection and industry-wide data sharing.

What’s next for businesses facing scam call fallout

These developments point to a future where phone communication can still be trusted, and where businesses have a fighting chance of reconnecting with wary customers. However, in the meantime, businesses will need to be proactive, combining thoughtful communication with modern technology to ensure they can rebuild the customer trust that’s been eroded in the scam call era.

For more insights about establishing customer trust during calls, as well as details about our expert contact centre services, get in touch with our team.