Scammers are stealing more money than ever, and family violence reporting is on the rise in Boroondara.
According to national anti-scam service, Scamwatch, Australians lost a record $3.1 billion to scams in 2022, with an average loss of almost $20,000.
Scammers trick people into handing over money or personal information, which can be used to commit further crimes. They can use phone, text message, email or websites to reach their victims.
Australians lose more money to investment scams than any other kind of scam and they can be hard to spot – if a money-making opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is. Find out more on the Scamwatch website.
In July, Victoria Police gave scam awareness training to the presidents of some local seniors clubs to help educate their members. Susie and Michael from U3A Deepdene said they received lots of practical advice, including taking care when receiving emails from new addresses and on social media, and looking for the padlock (locking device) when online shopping.
“It was very helpful – and frightening – to learn about the range of scams, and the massive resources apparently being put into ‘developing’ new threats globally,” says Susie.
Scamwatch advises taking the following steps to protect yourself:
- STOP: Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure about it. Scammers may offer to help you or ask you to verify who you are. Scam messages may urge you to act quickly, and may pretend to be from organisations you know and trust.
- THINK: Ask yourself if a message or call could be fake. Never click a link in a message. If you’re not sure, say ‘no’, hang up, or delete the message or email.
- PROTECT: Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help from IDCARE, the national identity and cyber support service, which can help you limit any damage. Report to ReportCyber and Scamwatch.
Scam contacts
For information and to report a scam, visit the Scamwatch website.
To report a scam to police online, visit the Australian Cyber Security Centre website.
For help if you’ve been scammed, call IDCARE on 1800 595 160 or visit the IDCARE website.