Awareness is our best defence against scams.
Let’s make sure all Australians know to Stop. Check. Protect. to stay safe from scams.
Scammers target everyone, costing Australians billions of dollars each year. By sharing these 3 simple steps to Stop. Check. Protect. you can help to raise scam awareness and shut down scammers.
We’ve created lots of ways to share the ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ messaging with your networks and communities. Spread the word on your social media channels, via your newsletters, in the workplace, or create your own content.
On this page
Social media posts and images
Post these on your own social media accounts to spread the word and get your networks interested in learning more about scams. We’ve provided suggested captions for you to use.
Stop. Check. Protect. post
Suggested text:
Scams are everywhere, targeting people from all walks of life and costing Australians billions of dollars each year. Whether it’s fake emails, unexpected phone calls or online schemes, scammers always find new ways to gain your trust and steal your money or personal information. But 3 small steps can help keep us all safe from scammers.
Learn more at scamwatch.gov.au.
Scam sense quiz post
Suggested text:
Give the 8 questions a go and find out how you can better protect yourself against scams. Take the quiz at scamwatch.gov.au/scam-quiz.
Report scams post
Suggested text:
If you come across a scam, help protect us all by reporting it to Scamwatch. Your report helps to:
- Take down scam websites, scam ads and contact details
- Warn the community
- Stop scammers in their tracks.
Report at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam.
Little Book of Scams post
Suggested text:
Help protect your friends and family by sharing our advice on how to spot and avoid scams. The Little Book of Scams is a simple guide on how to spot, avoid and protect yourself from scammers.
Translated versions are also available for you to share with your community. Download the Little Book of Scams at scamwatch.gov.au/little-book-of-scams.
Quiz
Put your community to the test with our 8-question quiz.
Find out how safe you are from scams and learn how you can better protect yourself.
Share the quiz on your social media by including the link in your posts: scamwatch.gov.au/scam-quiz.
Animations
Share these animations to raise awareness of common scam types that affect Australians. Share them from Youtube or download them.
Animation - phishing scams
Upbeat music plays.
Animation begins with a mobile phone ringing and vibrating in someone’s hand. The phone caller says: ‘Unknown’.
The hand clicks a button to answer the call.
The screen splits into a person answering the call and a caller who is shrouded in darkness. The caller grows to take over the whole screen and says: ‘This is your bank. There’s been suspicious activity. Here’s a secure account to transfer your money to, to keep it safe.’
The person answering the call reappears and a thought bubble rises from their head which says: ‘I’ll call my bank on its official number to check.’
The person’s hand holding their mobile phone appears again and the phone says: ‘My bank.’
The person’s face reappears and the bank on the other end of the phone says: ‘No, that wasn’t us.’
The video ends with the person smiling and looking relieved.
On screen text appears on an end screen:
Stop. Check. Protect.
Scamwatch.gov.au.
ScamWatch
Stop. Better Safe than scammed.
Upbeat music ends.
[End of transcript.]
Animation - products and services scams
Upbeat music plays.
Animation begins with a hand holding a mobile phone browsing motorbikes on an app that says: ‘Online Market’. A bike comes up that says it’s $200.
The price becomes larger with a spinning bubble around it to highlight it.
A person appears with a thought bubble that says: ‘Wow, what a great deal!’
Next the bike and price reappear and Chat messaging appears below them.
Person 1: Is this bike still available?
Person 2: I’ve got a lot of interest. I’ll hold it for you if you pay $50 deposit right now.
Person 1: …
The person’s face reappears and looks unsure.
A thought bubble appears above them that says: ‘This doesn’t feel right.’
The thought bubble pops and becomes the hand holding the mobile phone again. This time there are 2 buttons on the phone: ‘delete listing’ or ‘buy’.
The person taps ‘delete listing’ and a large red ‘X’ appears over the image of the bike.
On screen text appears on an end screen:
Stop. Check. Protect.
Scamwatch.gov.au
ScamWatch
Stop. Better Safe than scammed.
Upbeat music ends.
[End of transcript.]
Animation - romance scams
Upbeat music plays.
Animation begins with a hand holding a mobile phone. The phone displays a match on a dating app.
The match becomes a chat on the phone. In the chat 2 people text.
Person 1: Hello! How are you?
Person 2: Hello! Thanks for matching.
Person 1: I’d love to get to know you.
The chat scrolls through too fast to read the messages, representing the passage of time. At the end it resumes.
Person 1: Wow you are very inspiring. Talk to you later. (kiss emoji)
Person 2: Goodnight (love face emoji, love face emoji)
Person 1: Miss you (kiss emoji)
Person 2: Can’t’ wait to be with you…
Person 1: Flights are booked! (kiss emoji)
The chat scrolls through again too fast to read the messages, representing the passage of time. At the end it resumes.
Person 1: Something happened (worried face emoji)
Person 2: What is it?!
Person 1: Can you help me?! I need some money.
Person 2 appears as a character and a thought bubble rises from their head. In the thought bubble a woman appears but the woman’s face is a mask, which lowers and another person appears beneath and gives a sinister laugh.
The bubble pops and becomes the hand holding the phone. The hand clicks a large red BLOCK button. A red ex appears over the phone.
On screen text appears on an end screen:
Stop. Check. Protect.
Scamwatch.gov.au.
ScamWatch
Stop. Better Safe than scammed.
Upbeat music ends.
[End of transcript.]
Animation - false billing scams
Upbeat music plays.
Animation begins with hands typing at a laptop. The laptop has an email application open and one email says: ‘URGENT OVERDUE NOTICE!’ A computer arrow mouse pointer clicks this and a larger email screen opens.
The email says: ‘A Business Ltd’ ‘Urgent Overdue $’ ‘New Bank Details’ At the bottom is a ‘Pay Now’ button.
A woman’s head appears to replace the email and a thought bubble appears above it which says: ‘Better check this out.’
Her hand appears on a mobile phone that says: ‘A Business Ltd.’ ‘Official Website’ ‘Contact us’ She clicks the contact us phone button.
The woman’s head appears again in a split screen with another person, whose shirt says: ‘A Business Ltd.’
The person says: ‘No, our bank details haven’t changed.’ The woman looks concerned and lowers the phone.
Her hands appear at the laptop again and she deletes the email that says: ‘URGENT OVERDUE NOTICE!’
The woman’s face appears, and she smiles.
On screen text appears on an end screen:
Stop. Check. Protect.
Scamwatch.gov.au.
ScamWatch
Stop. Better Safe than scammed.
Upbeat music ends.
[End of transcript.]
Virtual meeting background
Get your coworkers talking about scams at your next digital meeting. Use this background or your Teams, Zoom or Meet catch up.
Email signature block
Add the campaign signature block at the end of your emails to send the Stop. Check. Protect. messaging.
Poster
We have created a poster with the Stop. Check. Protect. messaging. The poster can be printed off and put up where it will be seen, or shared digitally.
Resources for First Nations peoples
Share scams information and resources for First Nations peoples.
Information in your language
We’ve produced scam information and materials in 21 different languages. Head to our translated pages to view and share these.
The Little Book of Scams
The Little Book of Scams is an important tool for consumers and small businesses to learn about scams. It's available in English and 17 other languages as well as a version for First Nations peoples and an Easy Read version.
Advertisements
Share the campaign ads to spread the message to Stop. Check. Protect.
Stop. Check. Protect.
Koen: Such a nice couch. $50 deposit. Fair enough.
Mini-Koen: Woah! Stop, Koen. Don’t send money if we’re not sure.
Phone VO: We’ve had some suspicious activity; can I check your bank details.
Mei: OK
Mini-Mei: Mei Chen! Let’s check this... Let’s call the bank’s official number.
Steve: ‘Dear Mr Jacobs, your account is now overdue…’
Mini-Steve: Steve! Steve! Steve! Let’s protect ourselves.
Steve: Ohh.
Mini-Steve: That email address does not look right. Nah.
STOP. CHECK. PROTECT.
Keep us all safe from scammers.
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
[End of transcript.]
Koen: Stop. Check. Protect.
Koen: Such a nice couch. $50 deposit. Fair enough.
Mini-Koen: Woah! Stop, Koen. That sounds suss. Don’t send money if we’re not sure.
STOP. CHECK. PROTECT.
Keep us all safe from scammers.
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
[End of transcript.]
Mei Chen: Stop. Check. Protect.
Phone VO: We’ve had some suspicious activity; can I check your bank details?
Mei: OK.
Mini-Mei: Mei Chen! Let’s check this... Let’s call the bank’s official number.
Phone VO: Hello?
STOP. CHECK. PROTECT.
Keep us all safe from scammers.
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
[End of transcript.]
Steve: Stop. Check. Protect.
Steve: ‘Dear Mr Jacobs, your account is now overdue…’
Mini-Steve: Steve! Steve! Steve! Let’s protect ourselves.
Steve: Ohh.
Mini-Steve: That email address does not look right. Report it mate!
STOP. CHECK. PROTECT.
Keep us all safe from scammers.
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
[End of transcript.]
Stop. Check. Protect. Three simple steps
STOP. CHECK. PROTECT.
Keep us all safe from scammers.
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.
[End of transcript.]