Australia – The National Anti-Scam Centre has launched its new campaign ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ campaign, which seeks to tackle the threat of scams by educating the community about sophisticated scam tactics, reminding people that anyone can be vulnerable to scams, and empowering victims to report scams to Scamwatch.
According to the federal government, this new awareness campaign will make Australia a tougher target for scammers by arming Australians with the tools they need to put a stop to fraudsters.
The government stated that Australians have been losing billions of dollars to scams every year in recent times, with criminals routinely targeting businesses and consumers through fake emails, phone calls, SMS or text messages and social media.
For ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe, there are three steps to staying safe from scams, which are becoming more and more difficult to spot.
“Forty years on, we all still use the iconic ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ message of the 1980s as a handy reminder of how to be sun safe. Now we need all Australians to ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ to help keep themselves and others safe from scammers,” she said.
She added, “This campaign is about inspiring the behavioural change in every Australian – ensuring we stop and check before acting on that suspicious email, phone call, text message or social media post – that will stop scammers in their tracks.”
Lowe also said building community resilience to scams is particularly important in an environment where criminals are increasingly turning to new technologies, such as artificial intelligence – and impersonating trusted organisations to deceive Australians and steal their money.
“Australian consumers have told us that it sometimes feels like scams are everywhere and inevitable. This campaign will emphasise that we’re not powerless to scammers. When we’re alert, we’re in control. And by stopping and checking when we’re unsure, then reporting scams we’ve seen, we can protect ourselves and others against financial harm,” she added.
The ‘Stop. Check. Protect.’ campaign will be shown across television, online video, and social media from today (Sunday 12 January 2025). It will be supported by a range of other initiatives to promote scam awareness amongst vulnerable groups, including older Australians, First Nations peoples, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
The 10-week campaign will also address community misconceptions around scams by cautioning Australians that everyone is at risk of being scammed.
“Anyone can be the target of a scam at any time. Scams are crimes – and if you’ve been scammed, you’re a victim of crime. There’s absolutely nothing to feel ashamed of or embarrassed about – it could happen to any of us,” Lowe said. “If you are scammed, or you encounter a scam, please report it to Scamwatch so we can take steps to protect others against financial harm. The information you report can provide vital intelligence to help disrupt scams.”
The public information and awareness campaign will complement work being led by the National Anti-Scam Centre to unite Government, law enforcement and industry to disrupt scams, and the criminal groups behind them.
