Last year, First Nations people lost $6.5 million to scams. In just the last three months of 2024, mob made 1,241 reports to Scamwatch, with 165 people reporting they lost a total of $1.4 million.
Scams are becoming more difficult to spot, but there is good news - we can build our defence against scammers.
Yawun Mundine is the CEO of IT company Yirigaa and a proud Wiradjuri Bundjalung man who lives and breathes cyber security.
He says even though scams are becoming more common, just 13% are being reported.
There are various types of scams too, including romance or online dating scams, investment scams, job scams, phishing emails and online shopping scams.
Mundine says there are few things to keep an eye out for when trying to stay safe from scams.
Start by checking the spelling in websites and email addresses, and contact the organisation directly if you suspect they are being impersonated.
“It’s always good to speak to somebody or go directly to the source,” says Mundine.
“So if you're getting an email from the banks… it’s always good to verify it and actually go straight to them and talk to them about it just to make sure it is the real deal. And most importantly, contact them using details you have sourced for yourself either from the organisation’s official website or app.”
Another thing mob can do to protect themselves is grab a copy of the First Nations Little Book of Scams from the Scamwatch website and listen to NITV’s new Goodways Scam Awareness podcast.
From romance and investment scams, to dodgy phishing emails and GoFundMe pages, the podcast gives mobs tips and tricks for defending themselves against scams and breaking down the stigma, because mob who are targeted by scammers are not alone.
Mundine says the shame should belong to scammers.
“When you think about hackers and scammers, they don't have no morals when it comes to these things.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Stop.
Scammers pressure you to act quickly.
This is because they don’t want you to take your time and think things through. They might make threats that something bad will happen if you don’t act fast or offer you a limited opportunity to get a great deal — but none of it is real.
Check.
Could the message or call be fake?
Never click a link in a text message or email. Only contact businesses or the government using contact information that you find yourself from their official website or secure app. If you’re not sure, say ‘no’, hang up or delete.
Protect.
Act quickly if something feels wrong.
Contact your bank if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help and report the scam to Scamwatch. When you report scams, you help to stop the scam and warn others.
Use the report form on the Scamwatch website www.scamwatch.gov.au or call the First Nations Infoline on 1300 303 143.
