Victorians lost more than $77 million to scams in the in the 2023-2024 financial year. In addition to the financial cost, scams can have a devastating emotional impact on victims. By learning about scams, and sharing information with your friends and family, we can all stay safer.
Be aware – scammers are impersonating government departments and trusted businesses.
Look out for suspicious emails, messages and phone calls.
If you receive a call or email out of the blue, stop and check – “Is this for real?”
Don’t give money or personal details or click on any links if you’re unsure. Say no, hang up, delete.
In these scams, scammers pretend to be from a government agency you know and trust. These scammers may try to get you to:
- give them money
- share your personal information
- download remote access software.
These scammers and their threats can seem genuine and frightening. To make you take action, they may:
- make you feel as if you’ve done something wrong
- create a sense of urgency and say you must do what they say immediately
- make threats that you will receive a fine or fees, service disconnection, visits to your home, court action, arrest or even deportation.
If someone is threatening you or trying to intimidate you, hang up.
Check contact details through and independent source, such as an official website. Ask family or friends for help if you are not sure. Contact the organisation directly to ask if they contacted you. Don’t use the contact details provided by the caller or in the message sent to you.
Protect yourself and your data online
Take care when sharing personal information online, over the phone or by email.
- Don’t open suspicious texts, pop-up windows or click on links or attachments in emails – delete them. These could infect your device with malware.
- Don’t send money or share bank details or personal information with anyone you don’t know or trust.
- Check websites and email recipients before sharing any personal or payment information.
- Use strong and unique passwords.
- Set up multi-factor authentication to protect your online accounts.
- Monitor your accounts and devices for any unusual activity or unexpected communication.
- Never give anyone remote access to your computer if they’ve contacted you out of the blue.
A government agency or business will never ask you to pay them with gift cards, iTunes cards or Bitcoin.
Read more tips on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner website.
If you have lost money or given your personal details to a scammer
If you’ve sent money or shared your banking or credit card details, contact your financial institution immediately. They may be able to stop or reverse a transaction, or close your account.
If you think you have been affected by a data breach, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from fraudulent activity. These include:
- changing your online account passwords to strong, new passwords
- not using the same password for multiple accounts
- avoiding opening unsolicited attachments
- never giving anyone your password or financial details even if they sound plausible.
If you’ve given your personal information to a scammer, or think a scammer has access to your information, free support is available from IDCARE.
IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s not-for-profit national identity and cyber support service. IDCARE can work with you to develop a specific response plan to your situation and support you through the process.
For support:
- visit IDCARE.org website
- call iDCARE on 1800 585 160.
Scammers are often based overseas, making it hard for government agencies to track them down and take action. So take the time to warn your friends and family about these scams.
Common scams
Updated