Banner saying 'How to spot a scam. Scams Awareness week 2022. 7-11 November 2022. #ScamsWeek2022'

Scams Awareness Week 2022 takes place 7-11 November. This Scams Awareness Week, along with over 350 partner organisations, we’re encouraging you to learn ways to identify scams and take the time to check whether an offer or contact is genuine before you act on it.

With scammers continually developing new ways to catch people out, we need to increase our vigilance in checking for those little clues that can alert us that something is a scam.

Scams cost Australian consumers, businesses, and the economy hundreds of millions of dollars each year and cause serious emotional harm to victims and their families.

In 2021 Australians made more than 286,600 reports to Scamwatch and reported losses of around $324 million. By the end of August this year, Australians had lost even more with reported losses of over $381 million.

As alarming as these numbers are, we know that around one third of people who are scammed never tell anyone, so the true numbers are probably much higher.

Follow Scamwatch on Twitter and explore our website for more information and tips on how to protect yourself from scams.

Scamwatch tools and resources

The Scamwatch and ACCC websites contain a range of tools and resources about scams.

More information

Campaign resources
Our partners
Media release

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

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Remote access scams try to convince you that you have a computer or internet problem and that you need to buy new software to fix the problem.
Scammers use all kinds of sneaky approaches to steal your personal details. Once obtained, they can use your identity to commit fraudulent activities such as using your credit card or opening a bank account.
Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves using someone else's identity to steal money or gain other benefits.
Phishing scams are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving out your personal information such as your bank account numbers, passwords and credit card numbers.
Hacking occurs when a scammer gains access to your personal information by using technology to break into your computer, mobile device or network.