Scams
Every year 1 in 20 Aussies fall victim to scams.
Helen lost her life savings. Shahid lost $40,000 and had his identity stolen. Tina lost her house. David lost $450 and couldn’t pay his rent.
These people have all been ripped off by scammers, either in person, by phone, by mail or online. To read their stories go to www.scamwatch.gov.au
You may have been a victim of a scam yourself. Scams target everyone regardless of background, age and income and they come in many forms and reach you in many ways – by mail, online through e-mail, telephone and door-to-door.
Scams are often designed to trick you into giving away your money or your personal details. Scams succeed because they look like the real thing. Scammers are manipulative – they push the right buttons to produce the response they want. Many scams originate from outside Australia and once money is sent overseas it is virtually impossible to recover.
Listen to information on Scams (12:02 mins)