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1 | How to spot
and avoid scams
The
Little
Book of
Scams |
2 | ii
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsAustralian Competition and Consumer Commission
Ngunnawal
23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601
© Commonwealth of Australia 2024
This work is copyright. In addition to any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 , all material
contained with... |
3 | iii
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsContents
Help is at hand 1
What is a scam 3
How to spot and avoid scams 4
Text or SMS scams 7
Email scams 11
Phone scams 15
Website scams 19
Social media, app-based and online messaging scams 23
Common scams you should know about 27
Where to report scams 31
More help and supp... |
4 | iv
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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5 | v
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsThis guide is written by the National Anti-Scam
Centre and will help you identify and protect
yourself from scams.
A scam is a crime and people who commit scams are criminals.
Many people in Australia are being scammed and having their
money stolen, sometimes even their life s... |
6 | vi
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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7 | 1
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsHelp is at hand
If you’re reading this, chances are you, or
someone you know has been the target
of a scammer. Unfortunately, you’re not
alone. Scams are getting more and more
sophisticated which means anyone can
be a victim.
If you have been scammed, it’s important you act qu... |
8 | 2
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsProtect yourself from scams by following
these 3 steps:
StopDon’t give money or personal
information to anyone if unsure.
Scammers will offer to help you or ask you
to verify who you are. They will pretend to
be from organisations you know and trust
like service providers, the... |
9 | 3
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsWhat is a scam
A scam is when someone deceives you to steal
your money or personal information.
Scams are economic crimes run by criminals who are often very
organised and sophisticated.
Computer
hackingUnfair contract
terms Harassing marketing
approachesA scam is NOT:
It’s ... |
10 | 4
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsHow to spot and
avoid scams
Scams can happen to all of us. Scams work
because scammers create believable stories
to steal your money and get your personal
information.
Scammers are getting smarter and taking advantage of new
technology, products, services, and major events to ... |
11 | 5
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams4. Pressure to act quickly: Scammers don’t want you to take
your time and think things through. They want to pressure
you into acting quickly. This can include making threats that
something bad will happen if you don’t act fast.
5. Requests that you pay in unusual or specific wa... |
12 | 6
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
|
13 | 7
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsText or SMS scams
Scammers send messages pretending to be
from the government, law enforcement, trusted
businesses, or even your own family or friends.
These messages will sound urgent and try to get you to act
quickly. They will often have a link which will take you to a scam ... |
14 | 8
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSigns a message might be a scam
The message:
Asks you to take immediate action, make a
payment, or transfer money.
Asks you to click on a link or call a number
provided in the message.
Asks you to log on to an online account with
your username and password or to provide other
... |
15 | 9
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSteps to protect yourself from
messaging scams
1. If someone you know sends a message to say
they have a new phone number:
a. try to call them on the existing number you
have for them, or
b. message them on the new number with a
question only they would know the answer
to, to... |
16 | 10
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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17 | 11
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsEmail scams
Scammers send emails pretending to be
from the government, law enforcement and
businesses. They make it sound urgent to get
you to act quickly.
Scammers use the same logo and a similar email address as the
real organisation. Scammers can also copy or disguise their... |
18 | 12
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSigns an email might be a scam
The email:
Requests a payment but the account details are
new or have changed since the last payment you
made.
Asks you to log on to an online account with
your username and password or to provide other
personal information.
Was unexpected and in... |
19 | 13
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSteps to protect yourself from email scams
1. Check that the email is real by:
contacting the person or organisation
directly using contact details you’ve found
yourself such as from the organisation’s
website or via their official app (never via
a link).
2. Immediately stop... |
20 | 14
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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21 | 15
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsPhone scams
Scammers call, claiming to be from well-
known organisations. This includes
government organisations, law enforcement,
investment and law firms, banks, and
telecommunication providers.
They make it sound urgent to get you to act quickly. They may
try to convince y... |
22 | 16
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSigns a phone call might be a scam
The caller:
Asks for payment or asks you to move money to a
new account.
Asks you for your password, pin, one-time code, or
some other security information.
Asks you for your financial details, such as credit
card or banking details.
Asks you ... |
23 | 17
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSteps to protect yourself from
phone scams
1. Check that the call is real by either:
a. contacting the person or organisation
directly using contact details you’ve
found yourself such as from the
organisation’s website or,
b. accessing an organisation via their official
app (... |
24 | 18
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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25 | 19
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsWebsite scams
Scammers can pretend to be anyone online,
including the government, a real business,
celebrities or your friends or family.
They can create fake websites to look like well-known brands.
They may impersonate famous people and make it look like they
are approving ... |
26 | 20
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSigns a website might be a scam
The website:
Offers items for sale at significantly lower prices
than usual or compared to other sites.
Tells you about a way to make quick, easy money
with little risk or effort.
Contains an urgent warning or error message
asking you to click a ... |
27 | 21
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSteps to protect yourself from
website scams
1. Compare prices. If an offer appears too good
to be true, it probably is.
2. Research the organisation or person you are
dealing with before giving your money or
personal information.
3. Don’t rely on reviews written on the websit... |
28 | 22
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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29 | 23
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
Social media,
app-based and online
messaging scams
If someone you don’t know contacts you
on social media, a messaging platform
like WhatsApp or WeChat, or via an app, it
could be a scam.
Scammers pretending to be someone else will often use the real
photo of the person o... |
30 | 24
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSigns of a social media or app scam
Using a social media profile or app the scammer:
Tells you about a way to make quick, easy money
with little risk or effort.
Invites you to enter a competition or limited time
offer.
Requests to move your conversation from an app
such as a da... |
31 | 25
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsSteps to protect yourself from social media
and app-based scams
1. Check if the profile might be fake. Is the
account active? How many friends/followers
do they have and how much do they
post online?
2. Search the name of the profile online together
with the word ‘scam.’
3.... |
32 | 26
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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33 | 27
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
Common scams you
should know about
Here are some of the most common scam
types for you to be aware of. You can find more
information on each of these types of scams,
including warning signs and steps to protect
yourself, on the Scamwat ch website.
Impersonation scams
Scamm... |
34 | 28
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsJobs and employment scams
Scammers offer jobs that pay well with little effort. They pretend
to be hiring on behalf of high-profile companies and online
shopping platforms. Sometimes, the job they list doesn’t even
exist. Scammers also impersonate well-known recruitment
agenci... |
35 | 29
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsThreats and extortion scams
Scammers pretend to be from a trusted organisation and claim
you need to pay money or something bad will happen. They may
threaten you with arrest, deportation, or even physical harm, if you
don’t agree to pay them immediately.
They can also blackma... |
36 | 30
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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37 | 31
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsWhere to report scams
We’re working to make Australia a harder target
for scammers by raising awareness about how
to spot, avoid, and report scams.
We share information from scam reports and work with
government, law enforcement, and the private sector to disrupt
and prevent ... |
38 | 32
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scams
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39 | 33
ACCC | How to spot and avoid scamsMore help and support
Being a victim of a scam can feel overwhelming.
It’s important to remember that it can happen
to anyone, and support is available.
If you or someone you know has been scammed, talk to someone
about it. You can seek support from family, friends, your GP or... |
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