5 steps to take if you’ve lost money to a scam
identify the transactions that lost you money
Experiencing a scam is confusing and overwhelming.
Often people don’t know how the scam happened or why they were targeted.
Police and financial institutions will need specific information about your stolen money - collect receipts, screenshots of transactions, account numbers and dates.
Write simple, short sentences explaining what happened. Keep this document in a place you can easily refer to it.
Start a folder or file to keep all evidence in one place - you may need to refer to it several times.
Use the steps below to start a short and simple timeline of your scam that summarises the chain of complex events:
the amount of money involved (if known)
a summary of how the scammer contacted you or the allegations
evidence to validate your allegation (if available)
how and where it occurred (if applicable).
2. notify your bank and police
Your financial institution - your bank, payment platform or credit card company - need to know as quickly as possible how much money you’ve lost.
Time is of the essence as scammers transfer money and launder it quickly, sometimes within minutes of receiving your money.
Get a police event number as quickly as practical and make sure your financial institution have a record of this, so they know to take it seriously.
Keep track of police event numbers and internal complaint numbers (including any names of people you speak to) in your files.
Most financial institutions consider everything a scam - even when it’s a reimbursable fraud - and will likely tell you it will take weeks to find out whether they can recover your money.
Record the names and dates of when you talk to organisations or people about your scam experience. The notes will likely help later on.
3. secure your identity through idcare
Many scams compromise your identity documents like a passport, drivers licence or Medicare card.
Immediately report any identity theft and cybercrimes to ID Care, a not-for-profit that helps give you a step by step plan of what to do next.
If you think you may have been the victim of identity theft or fraud, you can apply for a credit ban to stop unauthorised access to your consumer credit file.
This means that credit reporting agencies are not able to give your information to any credit providers unless you provide written consent for them to do so, or if they are required by law.
4. be kind to yourself
Scams cause emotional harm and financial hardship. If you think you’ve been scammed
immediately stop contact with the scammer
report the scam to police and your financial institution
write down any details you get about the scammer (phone number, email, website address or car registration plate number) to help with any investigations
tell your colleagues, friends and family about your experience and what you’ve done about it.
You don’t need to feel ashamed or silly. Australians lose large amounts of money to scams.
Police Assistance Line
This line is available 24/7 for non-urgent crime reports, general police inquiries, and to arrange for police to attend if necessary.
Crime Stoppers
This service allows you to report information about crimes or suspicious activity anonymously. You can also report online through their website. Phone: 1800 333 000. Website: crimestoppers.com.au
Visit a Police Station
You can formally report a crime by visiting your local police station. Some state police forces offer online reporting options. Only call 000 in a life threatening or time critical emergency.
Make sure your local police report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre's website - or follow up and do this yourself. Ring SCAMwatch on 1300 795 995 or visit the website, www.scamwatch.gov.au
5. escalate disputes to australian financial complaints authority
If your bank or credit card don’t reimburse scammed money, you can escalate your dispute to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, a free service.
You can only do this after you have raised an internal complaint direct with the bank first.
You will not need to pay for a lawyer, though some people take this step. It’s important NOT to spend money on lawyers or investigative forensic reports.
AFCA’s dispute resolution process is time consuming and difficult for many scam victims.
You will need to have all your files in order and upload them to a secure online portal. You have the right to ask for an interpreter or a more accessible way to communicate with AFCA.
We advise people complaining to AFCA to appoint an agent to act on their behalf - it can be a friend or trusted relative.
Most victims report that going through the AFCA dispute resolution process is more difficult than the initial experience of the scam.
Banks may not supply all the evidence you need for your case. You can ask AFCA to supply things like:
key log files from your account showing IP addresses and banking staff file notes
CCTV footage of you in a branch or at an ATM
all call recordings between you and the bank.
If you have trouble getting documents from the bank, you can also email each bank’s customer advocate to help you access the data about your account and transactions.