‘When we’re alert, we’re in control’: Federal Government launches scam awareness campaign
The National Anti-Scam Centre has launched a new awareness campaign, hoping to make Australia a tougher target by arming people with the tools they need to stop fraudsters.
‘Stop. Check. Protect’, launched on Sunday by the Federal Government, tackles the threat of scams by educating the community about sophisticated scam tactics, and empowering victims to report scams to Scamwatch.
ACCC Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe, said scams are becoming more and more difficult to spot, and this campaign will provide Aussies the three steps needed to stay safe:
- Stop: Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure
- Check: Consider who you’re dealing with
- Protect: Act quickly if something feels wrong
“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,” Lowe explained.
“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.”
She said building community resilience is particularly important as criminal groups behind scams start turning to new technologies including AI to deceive Australians.
“Australian consumers have told us that it sometimes feels like scams are everywhere and inevitable,” she said.
“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.”
The 10-week campaign also addresses community misconceptions around scams by cautioning Australians that everyone is at risk.
“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 continued.
“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 campaign is live across television, online video, and social media, alongside a range of other initiatives to promote scam awareness amongst vulnerable groups including older Australians, First Nations peoples, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
It has been designed to 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.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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