Report a scam
Scam reporting - vital to catching
scammers
Think you have been scammed? You should report the scam to
a government agency so you can find out about your
rights and options.
Different agencies deal with different scams. Here is a list of
who deals with what.
Where to report different
scams
| Type of scam |
Who to report the scam to |
|
Financial and investment scams
- including those involving superannuation, managed
funds, financial advice, financial products, insurance
|
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
Report misconduct to ASIC
|
| Banking and credit card scams |
Your bank or financial institution
Your local police |
|
Tax scams
- or identity theft involving tax file numbers
|
Australian Taxation Office
ATO: how to report a scam
or phone 1800 060 062
|
|
Scams from overseas or interstate
- including false billing or chain letter scams
|
Australian Consumer and Competition Commission
ACCC: Create a SCAMwatch
complaint
|
| Scams from your state or territory |
Your state's fair trading or consumer affairs
office |
| Spam emails |
Australian Communications and Media Authority
ACMA: how can I report spam
Spam emails that request your personal or banking information
should also be reported to your bank (only use contact details that
do not appear in the email).
|
| Fraud, theft and other crimes |
Your local police station or the Australian Federal
Police |
| Not sure what type of scam it is? |
Australian Consumer and Competition Commission
SCAMwatch: Report a scam
|
| Cybercrime |
Australian Cybercrime Online reporting network ACORN.gov.au
|
What ASIC does when you report a
scam
When an investment scam is reported, ASIC will check whether the
company is licensed. If the company is based overseas, ASIC will
try to make contact and tell them to stop operating in
Australia. Once you submit a report ASIC will try to contact
you to discuss your concerns.
Getting your money back
Generally, ASIC will not be able to get your money back if you
have sent money to overseas companies, as these companies are out
of our jurisdiction. But it is still important that you report
scams to help stop them spreading.
If you help to stop even one more person from
becoming a scam victim, you are doing your bit to stop scams.
Related links
Last updated: 11 Nov 2015
