We all have a part to play in shutting down scammers and most of us have encountered a scam in some way – this includes your clients. By talking to them about scams, you can ensure they aren’t alone in the fight against scams. 

This year, Scams Awareness Week runs from 26 – 30 August 2024 and the theme is ‘Share a story, stop a scam’. If you have identified or encountered a scam, let your clients know. This may help prevent them from having their money or personal information stolen by a scammer. The more stories we all hear, the better equipped we are to protect ourselves. 

How to identify and avoid scams

One of the most important things you and your clients can do to identify and avoid scams is to ‘Stop, check, report’. This means:

• Stop – don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure. Say no, hang up the phone or delete the email.
• Check – scammers pretend to be from organisations you know and trust such as your bank, the police or the government. If you’re not sure, call the official number of the organisation to check.
• Report – report scams to Scamwatch when you see them. The more we talk, the less power scammers have.  

Investment scams

Australians lose more money to investment scams than any other type of scam. Between January to June 2024, $80 million has already been stolen. These scams can be hard to spot, and they often promise big payouts for little or no risk. 

Scamwatch has more information on investment scams, the warning signs and how to protect yourself and your client. 

Reporting scams

You and your clients can play your parts in the fight against scams by reporting a scam to the National Anti-Scam Centre. Your reports help them to identify the scams that are causing the most harm to Australians. They use your reports to understand how scammers work, who they harm and who they need to work with to disrupt and stop scammers. You can also report a scam anonymously or on behalf of your client if you want to. According to Scamwatch, 93% of people who report a scam don’t suffer a financial loss at all. 

If you’re on social media, share your scam story using the hashtag #ShareAScamStory to help make Australia a harder target.

Getting help

If a scammer has taken yours or your client’s money or personal details, you can contact:

• The bank or card provider immediately to report the scam and ask them to put a stop on all transactions. 
• IDCARE (Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service) who can make a plan to limit the damage.
• Lifeline or Beyond Blue to talk to someone for support.
• A financial counsellor if a scam is causing problems with debt – Moneysmart provides a list of free and confidential services to help get finances back on track.
• The Australian Taxation Office on 1800 008 540 if you believe you might have unwittingly shared sensitive information, divulged yours or your client’s tax file number or experienced a data breach.
• The Australian Cyber Security Centre to report cybercrime.