It is Scam Awareness Week, with this year's theme, "No One's Just a Number" highlighting the real people behind every scam statistic.
Every scam report represents a person whose money, personal information, time or trust has been stolen. Scams can happen to anyone - it could be a parent, grandparent, neighbour, friend or colleague. Being targeted or falling victim to a scam is never a reflection of a person's intelligence, experience or character.
Scammers are skilled at using trust, urgency and convincing stories to manipulate people into acting quickly without giving themselves time to think.
Three simple steps to stay protected:
Stop before sharing money or personal information.
- Take your time and never feel pressured to make an immediate decision.
- Speak with a trusted family member or friend before transferring money or providing personal information.
- Never share passwords, PINs or one-time security codes.
- Never share identity documents without checking who is requesting them.
Check who you're really dealing with.
- Contact organisations directly using phone numbers, websites or contact details you find yourself.
- Be cautious of:
- Messages claiming a loved one has changed phone numbers or urgently needs financial assistance.
- Easy money offers: Someone offering you money in exchange for using your bank account, receiving payments, or transferring money for them.
Protect yourself and others by reporting scams to your bank, cyber.gov.au and Scamwatch . If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.
This Scam Awareness Week, take the opportunity to check in with family, friends and neighbours, share scam prevention tips and remind one another that behind every scam statistic is a real person. Because no one's just a number.
