How do I keep my super safe? Keep It between the flags
At the beach, the flags exist for a reason. The water between them is watched and safe. Outside them, you're on your own, and the conditions can change faster than you'd think. Your super works the same way.
Stop. Check. Keep your super in safe hands.
How safe is my super? Not everyone contacting you about your super has your best interests at heart.
Some offers sound too good to ignore but before moving your retirement savings, stop and check who is really behind the offer.
- If an ad in your social feed is offering a free super health check, or telling you your fund is underperforming, that's your first red flag.
- It may not look like an ad at all.
- It might look like helpful information, a quiz, a comparison tool, a real-looking everyday person on a social media reel, or a friendly offer to review what you already have.
- And the phone call that follows can sound entirely professional.
Understanding how that process works is the best protection there is.
Lead generators use online ads to collect your details and use high-pressure sales tactics to push you to act quickly.
Here's a five step example of how it can happen.
Advertising
You see an online ad offering a free super check or review.
Online form
You enter your details into a form.
Phone call
A lead generator calls you, often out of the blue, using high-pressure sales tactics.
Advice referral
They pass you on to a partner adviser who contacts you to provide advice.
Super transfer
Under pressure, you may rush into a risky, less regulated, high-fee and low-performing fund.
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What are lead generators? A lead generator isn't your super fund and isn't necessarily a financial adviser. Lead generators collect your details and pass them on to someone else.
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How do lead generators gather your contact details? Usually, you hand them over yourself, without realising what you're handing over.
It might be an online form to claim a "free super health check". A quiz about your retirement readiness. A fund comparison that suggests your fund is underperforming.
In the case of superannuation, it's often a social post that asks you to put your details in. Each one is a way of turning your interest into a 'lead' from your phone number.
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How do lead generators earn money by referring you? Lead generators are typically paid for the referral, not for the outcome. Their income depends on connecting you to a financial adviser or an investment product (not on whether your retirement is better off five years from now).
Understanding that incentive is important. The person on the phone may be perfectly pleasant and entirely sincere. But the business model behind the call is built around moving your money, not around what's best for you. And it could leave you worse off in retirement.
The consequences: real people have lost their retirement savings
This isn't hypothetical. It has already happened on a large scale, to Australians who thought they were making a sensible decision.
The collapse of the First Guardian and Shield Master Trust schemes are the clearest example. According to ASIC, around 11,000 Australians were affected by the collapse of the Shield and First Guardian funds, which involved over $1 billion in retirement savings.
These were regular people. Tradespeople, nurses, drivers, parents, people who had done what they were told to do, which was to take an interest in their super.
Some found out only when they logged in to their account. It wasn't a case of their investments temporarily underperforming. It was simply that their savings were harmed.
The easiest way to stay safe is to keep between the flags: Industry SuperFunds
Staying between the flags means making decisions about your super on your terms, not in response to pressure from someone who contacted you first.
Industry SuperFunds prioritise members' long-term retirement outcomes, providing a trusted environment where decisions can be made carefully and confidently.
Industry SuperFunds are:
- Highly regulated, and subject to strong governance and oversight, especially when it comes to someone monitoring your fund's investment performance.
- Run to profit members, not shareholders (required to act in members' best interests)
- Focused on long-term retirement outcomes, not short-term sales
- Transparent about fees
- Trusted by millions of Australians
3 simple steps before making any super decision
Stop
Pause before responding to any ad, phone call or offer about your super. Nothing about your retirement savings needs to be decided today. Just because someone wants you to act urgently doesn't mean you need to.
Check
Confirm who is contacting you, and why. Look them up independently. Call your own fund on the number you find — not the one you were given. If they're paid to refer you somewhere, ask them to say so.
Keep your super in safe hands
Only make changes when you fully understand the risks and the benefits — and when the decision is yours, not someone else's.
What if you've been affected?
You're not alone, and it isn't your fault. These approaches are designed to be convincing. Spotting the signs early and knowing the next steps can help limit the damage.
Report it
ASIC and Scamwatch both take reports, and you can also go to the police.
Support and help
- Get free support from IDCARE, Australia's national identity and cyber support service. Call them on 1800 595 160.
- If you were affected by First Guardian or Shield, ASIC has been directing people to takeyoursuperback.com, an independent information site.
- Talk to someone. Family, friends or a counsellor can provide support. Your super fund may also offer some free super advice to help you understand your options.