Scam check
Worried it’s a scam? Use our quick check tool to see the warning signs and what to do.
Text message
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Is the sender familiar to you?
Scam messages often come from a number you won’t recognise. They can claim they’re from a trustworthy business or organisation. But scammers send them from a random or private phone number.
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Is the message asking you to take action?
Scammers often pressure you to act quickly ‐ encouraging you to make a payment immediately, or verify your private info by logging in. They may threaten you with fake fines or disabling services and account access.
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Is there a link in the message?
Scam messages sometimes include a link to a fake website that can look very convincing. Scammers like to use fake websites for banks, Centrelink and social media. Know that many reputable organisations, such as government services and Australia Post, do not include links in their SMS notifications.
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Is the sender familiar to you?
Check:
- the email address of the sender ‐ does it look strange, or different to the one used previously?
- how the email greets you ‐ does it use a generic greeting like ‘Dear customer’ instead of your real name?
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Is the email asking you to take action?
Scam emails often pressure you to act quickly ‐ encouraging you to make a payment immediately, or verify your private info by logging in. They may threaten you with fake fines or disabling services and account access.
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Is there a link or attachment?
Scam emails are often unexpected and encourage you to click on a link or open an attachment. Be wary, especially if you weren’t expecting the email.
Social media
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Is someone asking you for money or private info on social media?
Scammers create fake profiles of people or organisations on social media. These scammers try to gain your trust and trick you into giving money or personal information.
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Is the ad on social media selling something for an unbelievable price?
Scammers create fake accounts imitating real businesses, and post ads promoting goods or services that don’t really exist. Be wary if the price is too good to be true or that the offer is for “a limited time only”.
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Is someone you know reaching out to you to say they received a suspicious message from you on social media?
If your account gets hacked, a scammer might use it to scam your friends and family. If someone you trust tells you they got a suspicious message from you that you didn’t send, change your password immediately.
Phone
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Has this phone call come out of the blue?
Scam phone calls are often unexpected, or they'll be from a company you don’t normally deal with. A scammer might call you and claim there’s a problem with your account or a service you use ‐ or you might see an ad on a website saying you've got a virus or there's an exclusive investment opportunity for you, and to call them to sort it out.
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Is the caller asking for access to your computer, or personal info?
They may tell you to install software, let them have remote access to your computer, or ask you to share the login details for your accounts so they can ‘fix’ the problem for you.
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Does it seem urgent?
Scam callers will often make the fake problem seem extremely important and risky to ignore. They often use scare tactics to make you panic, and prevent you from questioning them.
Website
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Do the prices or products on the website look too good to be true?
Scam sites often sell goods at a much lower price than you've seen elsewhere. They might also have loads of 5 star reviews that seem old or generic, or images that look like they’ve been taken from elsewhere.
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Does the website content or the web address seem wrong somehow?
Scam websites are often poorly written and created quickly. The clues may be misspelling of words, broken links, images that don’t load, or links to social media pages with very few followers.
Or the web address (the URL) may not seem quite right. Scammers use web addresses that look very close to an official URL, but might have one word or letter different.
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Do the contact details for the company look out of date or dodgy?
The contact details given on a scam site ‐ like their physical address, email address or phone number ‐ will often not work, or be missing altogether.
Disclaimer: Please note the purpose of this check is purely educational. The aim of Service Victoria is to increase general awareness of cyber safety. Following the recommendations in this check does not protect you in all situations. For the most up-to-date and reliable information, you should consult with a qualified cyber safety expert.
Service Victoria accepts no liability for errors, does not guarantee protection of your accounts across the web, nor do we offer any kind of warranty or guarantee from using this check. Service Victoria does not commit to the information included in this check being the most up-to-date and accurate. The standards and recommendations for cyber safety change rapidly, and it is your responsibility to ensure that your practices are the best they can be in all situations now and in the future.
By using the content and tools included in this check, all users acknowledge and release the creators and operators of this check from any associated risks. Service Victoria does not authorise the copy or disclosure of any information included in this check.
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