Share a story, stop a scam

This scam awareness week we are coming together as an industry to help reduce the stigma and shame around being a victim of a scam. Scams affect people in all walks of life, and according to Scamwatch, there’s a good chance many people you know have encountered a scam*.

'Share a story, stop a scam' is the theme for this year's scam awareness week, and we encourage all our members who have experienced or been a victim of a scam to speak up. Sharing stories is powerful to help educate friends, family and others so they can avoid becoming a victim themselves. Scammers target anyone and everyone - it is no reflection on you if you get caught out. 

Heritage has a dedicated team working to help protect and educate our members from scams, but we need your help too. Take a moment to discuss scams at your next family gathering, or night out with friends, and perhaps share your story or find out if anyone you know has been a victim and can share theirs. Let's normalise talking about these experiences to help reduce feelings of shame, guilt, self-doubt and distrust.

How do I spot a scam?

We encourage you to STOP. CHECK. REPORT to help protect yourself from scams.

Stop

If you’re unsure, don’t give any money or personal information to anyone. Say no, hang up or delete.

Check

Scammers can pretend to be from organisations you know and trust. If you receive an unexpected call or message, independently source the contact information and verify the request.

Report

The more we talk, the less power scammers have.  If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, please contact us immediately. We also encourage you to report scams to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) via the report a scam website. 

You can find more about our anti-fraud measures on our dedicated page and download our Fraud protection guide. 

Find out more about current scams in Australia.

Reporting a scam

Many people don't report scams. Help stop the scam or warn others by reporting it to the National Anti-Scam Centre via Scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam

Support for victims

The National Anti-Scam Centre and support agencies have heard thousands of stories of scams. When you report your scam, the people who read your report understand how you are feeling. You are not alone.

If you're concerned a scammer has taken your money or personal details, contact us as soon as you can to report the scam.

IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service. They can help you make a plan (for free) to limit the damage.

If a scam is causing you problems with debt, talk to a financial counsellor. Moneysmart provides a list of free and confidential services to help you get your finances back on track.

Being scammed is a horrible experience, and it can happen to anyone. If you need someone to talk to, reach out to family and friends or you can contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).

Start a conversation

Talking about your experience can be difficult, even with people you trust – some ways you can start the conversation include:

• I almost lost my money to a scammer when…
• Have I ever told you about the time I was manipulated into giving away my personal information…
• I came across a scam recently, but there were some red flags I noticed right away…
• Have you ever been scammed? What happened? How did you feel?

Share your story this week with the hashtag #ShareAScamStory. We’re stronger together.

*2.5% of people have experienced a scam (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Fraud Survey, March 2024), while 65% of people have been exposed to a scam (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Fraud Survey, February 2023)