Scams Awareness Week will launch on Monday, and South Australia Police (SAPOL) is again supporting the annual campaign, imploring Australians this year to 'Share a story, stop a scam'.
From Monday 26 August to Friday 30 August 2024, Scams Awareness Week will see victims share their own unfortunate experiences across multiple platforms using the hashtag #ShareAScamStory.
According to Scamwatch data, 143,106 scams have been reported nationally between January-June in 2024, costing Australians more than $134 million, with investment, romance, and phishing scams causing victims the most financial loss.
The National Anti-Scam Centre's collaborative efforts across government, law enforcement, consumer organisations and industry last year boosted the community's fight against financial crime, seeing a 13.1 per cent decline in reported losses to $2.74 billion in 2023.
This year SAPOL's Financial and Cybercrime Investigation Branch is continuing prevention efforts by focusing on five major scams costing South Australians: romance, investment, sextortion, tech support, and business email compromise scams.
SAPOL's campaign for Scams Awareness Week will include daily media releases, and a strong social media presence to educate and empower consumers to protect their personal and financial information and spot red flags, particularly in the digital space.
"By sharing your scam story, you may prevent someone else from having their money or personal information stolen by a scammer," Cybercrime's Sergeant David Mitchell said.
"The more stories we hear, the better equipped we are to protect ourselves, and it's encouraging to know our coordinated awareness approach is making a difference.
"Tune into SAPOL's various social media platforms to see valuable scam prevention tips, advice, and tales, or visit our website for in-depth information on this year's targeted scams."
During the week, Sergeant Mitchell will also share his recent intervention in a tech support scam, when an Adelaide woman was duped into paying cash via a crypto ATM.
To report a cybercrime, visit the ReportCyber website www.cyber.gov.au/report or for more information visit Scamwatch at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au
