If you have been scammed or think you have seen a scam, there are many government agencies in Australia that you can contact for advice or to make a report. The best agency to contact depends on where you live and what type of scam is involved. If you are not sure which agency would be the best one to contact in your circumstances, contact SCAMwatch (ACCC Infocentre) on 1300 795 995.
Scams from interstate or overseas—contact the ACCC
The ACCC is the only national agency dealing with general consumer protection and restrictive trade practices matters. The SCAMwatch website is published by the ACCC.
You can report a scam to the ACCC electronically by filling out the 'report a scam' form below. This form will go directly to the ACCC Infocentre staff.
You can also report a scam by phoning the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502. The Infocentre is staffed between 8.30 am and 6.00 pm, Monday to Friday.
The Infocentre is the primary contact point for the ACCC. If appropriate, information received is passed on to investigators. Callers can also be provided with information by Infocentre staff on their rights and responsibilities as businesses or consumers. If Infocentre staff cannot help, they will usually suggest the appropriate government department or agency to contact, or give you information about any other options that may be available. The ACCC does not give legal advice and recommends that a solicitor is the most appropriate person from whom to seek such advice.
Financial and investment scams—contact the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
Financial scams are scams that involve sales offers or promotions about financial products and services such as superannuation, managed funds, financial advice, insurance, or credit or deposit accounts. Report financial scams to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) on 1300 300 630.
Taxation-related schemes or scams including identity theft—contact the Australian Taxation Office
Scams targeting Australian taxpayers, including identity fraud involving tax file numbers, should be reported to the Australian Taxation Office. As part of its role as the Australian Government’s principal revenue collection agency, the ATO gathers information and takes action against perpetrators of income tax related scams and fraud.
Call the ATO on 1800 060 062 (between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm weekdays) or report a tax scam online.
Banking and credit card scams—contact your bank or financial institution
As well as reporting these scams to ASIC or the ACCC (see above), you should also alert your bank or credit union when a scam involves your bank or credit union account.
Many scams arrive in the form of emails or phone calls claiming to be from your bank or financial institution (e.g. phoney fraud alerts or phishing scams), or otherwise trying to access your accounts.
You should telephone your bank or financial institution if you are suspicious about an email, letter or phone call that claims to be from them, or if you think someone may have access to your accounts. Your bank or financial institution can advise you on what to do next. Make sure the telephone number you use is from the telephone book or your account statement, ATM card or credit card.
Local scams—contact your local office of fair trading (consumer affairs agency)
While the ACCC is the only national agency dealing with general consumer protection matters, state and territory agencies also have specific jurisdictions in relation to scams.
The consumer protection provisions administered by the ACCC (e.g. against misleading and deceptive conduct) can also be found in state and territory fair trading Acts. These Acts—as well as more specific laws and safeguards like those dealing with door-to-door sales—are administered by the office of fair trading or consumer affairs agency in your state or territory (the name of the agency varies from state to state).
Your local office of fair trading or consumer affairs agency is best placed to investigate scams that appear to come from within your own state or territory, and you should report these scams using the links below.
Some of the state and territory agency websites below also name specific practices that they consider to be scams operating in their state or territory. But remember that these lists are not exhaustive and the ACCC does not endorse or warrant the accuracy or completeness of this information.
Reporting spam emails—contact the Australian Communications and Media Authority
Many scams arrive by email. You can report any uninvited emails (known as spam emails) to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. You can also download ACMA’s SpamMATTERS button for Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. When you press the SpamMATTERS button, the spam email is forwarded to ACMA and deleted from your system. Installing SpamMATTERS will not stop the spam reaching you, but it can help ACMA to trace where the spam is coming from.
Fraudulent (or phishing) emails requesting personal details can also be reported to the bank, financial institution or other organisation concerned (be sure to use a phone number or email address that did not appear in the email to make your report).
Reporting fraud, theft and other crimes—contact the police
Many scams that may breach consumer protection laws (those enforced by the ACCC, ASIC and fair trading agencies) may also breach the fraud provisions of various crime Acts. If you are the victim of fraud—if you have suffered a loss because of someone’s dishonesty or deception—you should consider contacting your local police station, especially if the amount involved is significant.
You should definitely contact the police if you have had your property stolen or been threatened or assaulted by a scammer.