News
23 January, 2025
Scam losses drop for first time in 9 years
For the first time since 2016, the Federal Government has reported a decrease in losses due to scams, after the it invested over $180 million to tackle scam activity across the economy.
The Government has now launched the Fighting Scams awareness campaign to equip Australians with simple, actionable tools to guard against scammers.
The aim of the campaign is to increase awareness and action of three simple, memorable steps to keep us all safe from scams.
The key message:
STOP: before sharing personal information
CHECK: that you know who you’re dealing with
PROTECT: against scams by taking actions like reporting them to Scamwatch.gov.au
The campaign is part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to make Australia the toughest target in the world for scammers, with the drop in losses indicating early signs of success.
Scamwatch data shows reported scam losses dropped by over 40 percent in the 2023–24 financial year compared to the previous year.
Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, said they would always work hard to build Australia’s future, which meant building a safe future for people and protecting Australians against crooks trying to steal their money.
“The Federal Government is determined to make Australia the toughest target in the world for scammers,” Mr Neumann said.
“But we all need to do our bit - I’m urging everyone in Blair to Stop, Check, Protect against scammers.”
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones, said this campaign is critical to arming Australians with tools and tips to keep their money safe from scammers, reminding all residents that “anyone can be a target of a scammer.”
