Scam awareness, reporting & recovery guides
Don't get played.
No one is scam-proof — but you can be scam-aware. Plain-English guides to the scams doing the rounds in Australia, plus the official ReportCyber and Scamwatch links when you need to fight back.
What's new
Scams doing the rounds right now
Fresh alerts pulled from official warnings and news reports. Checked weekly — if it's new, it shows up here.
21 Aug · Impersonation scams
Impersonation scams are industrialised
Scam call centres now use AI voice cloning and fake caller-ID to pose as your bank, the ATO, telcos and police. Criminals who look trustworthy is the new battleground — always hang up and call back on the official number.
Via The Australian →
20 Aug · Investment scams
ASIC shuts down 3,106 crypto scams
ASIC took down thousands of fake crypto investment sites in a single sweep as AI-assisted fraud surges. A legitimate-looking trading platform with a celebrity endorsement is now the single biggest warning sign of a crypto scam.
Via ASIC via Crypto News →
18 Aug · Buying & selling
Classifieds caravan scam leaves retiree $9,300 out of pocket
A retiree searching for a home paid a deposit for a caravan advertised on a classifieds site — the seller vanished. Fake listings for vehicles, rentals and pets are surging; pay in person or use an escrow service, never a gift card or crypto.
Via Yahoo / Nine News →
17 Aug · Phishing
Hot right nowmyGov and invoice phishing wave
Security researchers are tracking a spike in phishing that impersonates myGov and Australian businesses: fake 'your refund is on hold' logins and doctored invoice attachments that install malware or steal credentials.
Via SecurityBrief Australia →
Not affiliated with any government agency. Always verify on Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) or ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au) before acting.
Just got scammed? Do these four things now.
Call your bank
Money moved? Your bank can flag the account and try to recall the transfer.
Change your passwords
Start with email, turn on two-factor auth, and don't reuse passwords.
Report it officially
Cybercrime goes to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au/report), everything else to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam).
Identity exposed?
Call IDCARE on 1800 595 160 — free national identity support.
The official three-step habit
Stop. Check. Protect.
The Australian government's anti-scam campaign — and the only habit you need to remember. Run it on every unexpected message, call, or offer.
Step 1 · Stop
Don't give money or personal details to anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Take a breath. Urgency is the scammer's weapon.
Step 2 · Check
Verify the request independently. Call the organisation on its official number — never the one in the message. Search the name + "scam".
Step 3 · Protect
If it's a scam, report it and act fast — contact your bank, tell a trusted friend, and report on the official channels.
Know the enemy
The 18 scam types doing the rounds
Phishing Scams
Emails or messages that impersonate a trusted organisation — your bank, the ATO, Telstra, AusPost — to steal your login details or card number.
Official guide on Scamwatch
Account & Identity Takeover
Criminals use stolen personal details to take over your accounts, open credit in your name, or apply for loans and government payments.
Official guide on Scamwatch
Business Email Compromise
Scammers hack or spoof a business email — often the boss's or a supplier's — and trick staff into changing bank details or paying fake invoices.
Official guide on Scamwatch
Buying & Selling Scams
Fake listings, buyers who 'overpay' and demand a refund, fake escrow services, and sellers who disappear after you pay on marketplace sites.
Official guide on Scamwatch
Donation Scams
Fake charities and emergency appeals — especially after natural disasters — that collect donations that never reach anyone in need.
Official guide on Scamwatch
Email Scams
The catch-all inbox menace: malicious attachments, invoice fraud, ransomware, and fake 'account suspension' emails designed to get you to click or pay.
Official guide on Scamwatch
Real losses, names changed
Stories of scams
Cautionary tales based on the patterns Australians keep reporting — so you can spot the script before it plays out on you.
3 min read
The voice on the phone sounded just like her son
A call from 'her son' in jail needing $4,000 for bail. The voice was perfect — because it wasn't her son at all.
AI voice-cloning · family emergency
3 min read
The tradie who kept finding 'urgent' problems
He knocked on the door, pointed at the roof, and quoted $6,000. By the time he left, the job was a $40,000 nightmare.
In-person · doorstep tradie scam
Free lessons
8 plain-English lessons
From the psychology of scams to the recovery playbook. Each one is a short read — no jargon, no doom.
The monthly scam alert digest.
One email a month: the scams doing the rounds, what to watch for, and one thing to check. No spam — we're too busy spotting scams to send any.
Be Scam Aware is an independent educational site and is not affiliated with any government agency. Reporting and recovery happen through the official channels: ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au) and Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au). Always verify requests independently before sending money or personal details.