What To Do If You’ve Been Scammed

If you think you’ve been scammed, act quickly to protect your money and personal information. You’re not alone — help is available.

If someone else has access to your bank account, contact your bank or financial institution immediately to report the scam and stop any further transactions.

If you’re not sure whether you’re being scammed, stop sending money right away. Scammers will often keep asking for more until you stop. Also block all contact from the scammer.

IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service.

They can help you create a plan (for free) to limit any damage.

Call 1800 595 160 (Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm) or visit idcare.org.

Once you’ve secured your accounts and information, help stop the scammers by reporting what happened.

You can report scams to:

Sharing your experience can also help friends, family, and others avoid similar scams.

If you’ve been scammed, you might be targeted again. Scammers may contact you pretending to:

These are all new scams designed to steal more money. If anyone offers to “fix” or “recover” your losses, ignore them and block all contact.

Being scammed is a distressing experience — it can happen to anyone. Support is available:

Financial support:
If you’re in debt or struggling financially, contact a financial counsellor for free and confidential help.

Emotional support:
If you need to talk, reach out to family, friends or a support service:

If you have any questions, please contact us for assistance.