News & alerts

Scamwatch is warning people to be careful about being caught out by holiday season scams.

Tax scams seem to be everywhere at the moment and Scamwatch is warning people not to engage with phone calls or emails they receive threatening arrest or jail over unpaid tax debts.

Scamwatch is warning the Chinese community in Australia to be wary about two frightening scams targeting them that involve threats of arrest, and extortion via fake kidnappings. See also in-language PDF:针对华人社区的威胁和绑架骗局

Scammers swindled nearly $4.7 million from Australian businesses in 2017 according to the ACCC’s latest Targeting scams report – a 23 per cent increase compared to 2016.

Australians lost more money to scammers in 2017 than in any other year since the ACCC began reporting on scam activity.

We're warning the Chinese community in Australia to be wary of scammers posing as Chinese authorities and/or employees of DHL and threatening them with deportation or arrest unless they pay large sums of money.

If you lost money to a scammer through Western Union from 2004 to 2017, you may be eligible for a refund. Find out how you can make a claim.

Scamwatch is urging all Australians who lost money to a scammer through Western Union from 2004 to 2017 to take action by the extended deadline of 31 May to try to get it back.