Real stories show no one is just a number this Scams Awareness Week

Four courageous Australians share their stories during Scams Awareness Week 2026, and join with the National Anti-Scam Centre in encouraging people to remember three simple steps: Stop. Check. Protect. They hope to encourage others to share their stories too.

Running from 24 to 28 August, this year’s campaign theme, No one’s just a number, puts a human face to the scale of scams in Australia by sharing real stories from Australians who were scammed.

Australians made 91,767 reports to Scamwatch in the first six months of 2026, with $156.6 million reported stolen. When combined with reports made to law enforcement through ReportCyber the total reported lost during that period was $554.1 million across 122,550 reports. This is an 11 per cent drop in the number of reports and an increase of 1 per cent in reported losses. The figures show scams remain a serious problem but the personal stories behind the statistics are just as important

“Behind every reported loss is a person who has been harmed, whose life has been disrupted by criminals using pressure, impersonation, psychology and technology including AI to steal their money or identity,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“This Scams Awareness Week, we want Australians to know that any of us can be scammed. Being scammed is not a reflection of someone’s intelligence or judgement - it reflects how sophisticated and manipulative these criminals have become.”

Lindy received a text message claiming she had bought a laptop. She had not placed the order, so she called the number in the message and believed she was speaking with PayPal. The caller said they could stop the transaction but needed Lindy to read back a verification code. They pressured her to act quickly, leaving little time to check who she was speaking with. Lindy had money stolen and was left in debt.

“They rush you through it and make you panic. As soon as I hung up the phone, I just knew. My heart sank,” Lindy said.