In 2023 Australians made more than 280,240 reports to Scamwatch and reported losses of around $455 million. In 2022, Australians had lost even more with reported losses of over $568 million.
This year Scams Awareness Week is about empowering people to recognise impersonation scams because, “anecdotally, approximately 80% of all scams reported to Scamwatch include some form of impersonation of a legitimate entity.”
How to avoid scams
The best way to avoid scams is to detect them first. The good news is there are some simple ways to spot a scam. These are things to look out for:
- A person or a message urging you to act quickly, whether it’s a threat to make an urgent payment, a request for upfront payment or a limited opportunity too good to miss.
- A person or a message asking you to update or provide your personal details, such as identifying information, banking details or passwords, or asking to remotely access your device.
- Any payment request via unsecure or unusual methods such as cryptocurrency, gift cards or bank transfer.
- A person or suspicious message claiming they have new contact details or asking for payment to a new bank account.
- Anyone offering unsolicited financial or investment advice or claiming you can make fast or guaranteed money with little to no risk.
Take the time to make sure offers and contacts are genuine
Scams can be convincing, so take the time to check whether an offer or contact is genuine before you act on it. Here are some simple tips to protect you so you can avoid being scammed:
- Be careful of links and attachments
- Be careful of links and attachments
- Never provide passwords, personal and financial details or, one-time codes.
- Never provide remote access your computer.
- Be wary of anyone who claims you can make easy, fast or guaranteed money.
- Verify before you buy
Don’t click on or download anything you don’t trust, especially in unexpected or suspicious texts or emails, and never give personal information to a stranger. Scammers might also pose as a legitimate contact to get your details to hack your accounts or steal your identity.
Discover more scam red flags→
Scams can cause serious harm. Protect yourself and those around you. If you see or experience a scam, report it. Visit the Scams Awareness Week website for more information: www.scamwatch.gov.au/scamsweek
