What to do if you’ve been scammed

Estimated reading time
 4 min

Key points

• Australians lose millions of dollars to scams each year, so reporting a scam and sharing your experience can help others recognise common scam signs and protect themselves.
  
  
• You can report the scam to Scamwatch, your bank, and the platform where it took place – every report counts.
  
  
• Taking the appropriate steps after experiencing a scam, such as watching out for follow-up scams and reaching out for support, can help reduce the impact the scam can have on your life.

At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced moments that have changed things for the better.

Whether it’s welcoming a new family member, an overseas holiday, or even expanding your business, these are all significant life experiences that can profoundly shape our future.

But life isn’t perfect and there are some not-so-good moments we might experience - and falling victim to a scam is one of them. In 2023 alone, Australians lost around $476 million to all types of scams and out of that, people 55 years and older lost around $220 million.¹

Despite this staggering figure, many people still don’t report their experiences of being scammed.

“There’s a stigma attached to falling for a scam,” explains Karen Kosčak, ANZ Product Owner in Cyber Security Education. “Some people might feel embarrassed that they were a scam target and think, ‘I don’t want to tell anyone what happened’. And others simply don’t want to report that they lost a small amount of money or no money at all because they think they didn’t lose enough.”

However, one of the most important things you can do after being scammed is to report it – no matter how much or how little the losses were.

Why is it important to report a scam?

“Anyone can be affected by a scam,” says Karen. “And reporting your experience can help raise awareness of that type of scam with the wider community. It encourages others to think, ‘Something similar happened to me, I should report it too,’ all because you took the initiative to report it in the first place.”

This allows the National Anti-Scam Centre and other government bodies to raise awareness about the different types of scams people are experiencing, which could help educate the community on the red flags to look out for.

If you have lost money, you should also report the scam to your bank. They might help you recover some of the lost money and report the scam to the recipient bank so that the fraudulent account can be identified and shut down.

Common signs that you have been scammed:

• “If you clicked on a link that came in a text message or email, there is a strong chance it was a scam,” says Karen. “These links may take you to a fake website for you to share your personal details or they may simply download malware and corrupt your device.”
  
  
• “If you received an unexpected message from your child and sent them money, you might’ve fallen for an impersonation scam,” Karen explains. “These messages often say ‘Hi mum/dad, I lost my phone, can you give me some money to buy a new one?’, but they’re just scammers pretending to be your child.” This is a spoof message, which is when a scammer impersonates a trusted person or organisation by using a manipulated phone number that displays the name of the person or organisation they’re impersonating to trick you into giving them money or personal information.
  
  
• “You responded to an offer that’s too good to be true,” says Karen. “This will often be in the form of an investment scam. The scammer will build up a relationship with you and then offer you an opportunity to join their investment venture, which they claim is low risk and very high reward.”
  
  
• “You’ve only interacted with the person online,” explains Karen. “Or they simply refuse to meet in person.”
  
  
• There are unusual transactions on your bank statement that you never made or don’t recall making.
  
  
• The message or call conveys a strong sense of urgency and pressure. They might even threaten you if you don’t comply with their request.
  
  
• The scammer asks you to pay using unusual payment methods, such as gift cards or cryptocurrency. They might also ask you to set up a new bank account or PayID.
  
  
• You notice changes in your banking details and email address, such as a different password or phone number linked to the account.

What to do if you’ve been scammed?

• “Contact your bank immediately if you’ve shared financial information or transferred money,” says Karen. “Your bank can help you block or cancel the cards and accounts affected by the scam.” If your cards are with ANZ, you can report the stolen card through the ANZ app or by calling us.
• Report the scam to Scamwatch and the platform where the scam took place. Knowledge is power, and sharing your scam experience can help others look out for it.
  
  
• Keep an eye out for any follow-up scams that might occur, especially ones where the scammer offers to refund your lost money – chances are it’s the same person.
  
  
• “Don’t panic,” says Karen. “Scammers will try and create a sense of urgency to get you to act, so pause and take a breath to think through the next steps you need to take.”
  
  
• Reach out for support if you need it. Whether you talk to someone you trust or a registered mental health provider, such as Beyond Blue, Lifeline, or IDCare, help is available if you need that extra support when recovering from a scam.
  
  
• Tell your family and friends about the experience. They can offer to support you, and you can help protect them from scams.
  
  
• Change your passwords on any accounts you think or know the scammer has accessed. This might include your banking, superannuation and email accounts.  

Who can you contact if you’ve been scammed?

• Contact the Australian Cyber Security hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1300 CYBER1 (or 1300 292 371).
  
  
• Help others by reporting to Scamwatch or to the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre’s ReportCyber.
  
  
• For phishing or identity theft associated with government accounts such as Centrelink, Medicare, or Child Support, contact the Services Australia scams and identity helpdesk on 1800 941 126 or visit their website.
  
  
• You can also contact IDCare, a not-for-profit organisation providing support to those experiencing identity and cyber security concerns.
  
  
• Contact your bank immediately if you share personal or financial information.
  
  
• If you’re an ANZ customer, you can report fraud or suspicious activity in multiple ways, such as through the ANZ app or by calling us.