Scams targeting Aboriginal people

Last updated: 20 November 2024

Scammers are smart, crooked and don’t care who they hurt. Lots of people get tricked into handing over their money or personal information to scammers.

Scams can be found in many different places for example websites, emails, phone calls, text messages, apps, social media and even a person.

In 2020 Scamwatch, run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), received 3,455 reports with over $2 million in losses from Indigenous Australians. The most financially damaging scams for Indigenous communities were dating and romance scams, followed by investment scams and online shopping scams.

Report a scam

Have you or someone you know been involved in a scam? Let us know

WA ScamNet describes hundreds of scams.  It lists scams by name and shows photos where it can so you can see who or what may be trying to scam you.

Get help:

If you have been scammed, would like to report a suspect scam or scammer, or need help to figure out if something you have received is a scam contact WA ScamNet.

If you are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and would like help and would feel more comfortable talking to an Aboriginal officer about your problem, then please contact 1300 30 40 54 or contact us by email and ask to speak to an Aboriginal officer.

Helpful websites:

To keep up, to get advice, get help and get alerts visit WA ScamNet .

The ACCC have created the The Little Book of Scams it is one of our most popular publications. It contains the scammers' black list to help you identify and avoid the 10 most common methods scammers use to get at you.

What can I do?

Keep informed about common scams by subscribing to ScamNet Alerts

Ask us scams poster set

Scam Warning posters

To help fight against scams in your community, please feel free to use the series of scam warning posters for Indigenous communities.

Go to the WA ScamNet website scamnet.wa.gov.au