Is that message real?
Scam losses are the single biggest number on this site, and the defence is a habit rather than a product.
$2.18 billion
reported lost to scams by Australians in 2025, across 274,577 reports involving a loss
What this is
Australians reported losing 2.18 billion dollars to scams in 2025 across more than 274,000 reports involving a loss, and investment scams alone accounted for over 837 million of that. The defence is not a product. Nearly every successful scam depends on two things happening together: contact you did not initiate, and pressure to act before you can check. Removing either one stops most of them.
Does it apply to you?
- Everyone. Scam losses are highest among people who believe they are too careful to be caught
- Anyone being asked to move money urgently, by anyone
- Anyone helping an older relative manage money
How to do it
- Never act on a link in a message. Close it and go to the organisation the way you normally do.
- Treat urgency as the warning sign: a real bank does not need you to move money in the next ten minutes.
- If you think you have paid a scammer, ring your bank immediately and ask them to try to recall the payment.
- Report it to Scamwatch. Reports are what fund the takedowns.
Where people lose the money
Ringing the number in the message to check if it is real.
That number is part of the scam. Use the number on your card or in your banking app, which you found yourself.
Assuming a caller is genuine because they know your details.
Data from breaches is widely traded. Knowing your name, address or last transaction proves nothing.
Waiting to see if it resolves itself before ringing the bank.
Recall attempts work best in the first hours. Ring immediately, even if you are not certain yet.
Questions
I have already paid a scammer. What now?
Ring your bank immediately and ask them to attempt a recall of the payment. Then change any passwords you reused, and report it to Scamwatch. Speed matters more than certainty at this point.
Will I get the money back?
Sometimes, and it depends on how the payment was made and how quickly it was reported. Banks have obligations to attempt recovery, and AFCA can review a bank's handling of it if you are unhappy with the outcome.
Does reporting to Scamwatch actually do anything?
Reports are the data the National Anti-Scam Centre uses to get scam websites and phone numbers taken down and to warn others. It will not usually recover your individual loss, which is what the bank is for.
What is the single most common giveaway?
Urgency combined with an unusual payment method. A genuine organisation will let you hang up, verify independently and call back.
Where these numbers come from
- ACCC, “Targeting scams: report of the National Anti-Scam Centre on scams data and activity 2025” · read 2026-09-22
Last gone over 2026-09-22. Figures change; the link above is always the current one.