Scam and Fraud Protections
Written in plain language for general understanding. This is educational content, not legal advice. Based on Commonwealth Acts of Parliament, federal regulations, and official government guidance.
Australian Federal Law
What is this right?
Australia has a growing framework to protect consumers from scams and fraud, built on the ACL’s misleading conduct provisions and new dedicated anti-scam initiatives:
- National Anti-Scam Centre: Established in July 2023 within the ACCC, this centre coordinates scam prevention across government, law enforcement, banks, and telecommunications companies.
- Scamwatch: The ACCC’s Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) lets you report scams and check warnings. In 2023, Australians reported losing over $2.7 billion to scams.
- ACL protections: Scam conduct often breaches s 18 (misleading or deceptive conduct) and ss 29–37 (false representations). The ACCC can take enforcement action against businesses that facilitate scams.
- Banking protections: Under the ePayments Code, if your account is used for an unauthorised transaction and you did not contribute to the loss, your bank must generally reimburse you.
- Telecommunications: Telcos are required to block scam calls and SMS under the Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMS industry codes registered with the ACMA.
When does it apply?
- You have been targeted by or lost money to a scam — including phishing, investment scams, romance scams, impersonation scams, or fake online stores.
- A business has made false or misleading claims that caused you financial loss.
- Your personal or financial information has been compromised by fraudulent activity.
What should you do?
- Report the scam to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au — even if you did not lose money.
- Contact your bank immediately if you have transferred money or shared financial details. Ask them to attempt a recall or chargeback.
- Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication on any compromised accounts.
- Contact IDCARE (idcare.org, 1800 595 160) — Australia’s national identity and cyber support service — for help if your identity has been compromised.
- Report to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au) if the scam involved cybercrime.
What should you NOT do?
- Don’t send more money to “recover” lost funds — recovery scams are a common follow-up tactic.
- Don’t be embarrassed to report — scams are sophisticated and can affect anyone. Reporting helps protect others.
- Don’t click links in suspicious emails, texts, or social media messages — go directly to official websites by typing the URL yourself.
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