Gabi Power 01 August 2022 11:54:04 AEST 12 MIN READ

Have You Been Scammed? Here’s Where to Report It

If you’ve fallen victim to an online scam or cyberattack, or even had a near-miss, knowing what to do next can be both scary and difficult. It’s not uncommon to feel embarrassed or hurt by being caught up in a scam, but it’s important to know that you’re not alone. In fact, it’s more common than you probably think. In the US, 1 in 10 adults fall victim to a scam or fraud every year, and 1 in 9 Australians experienced personal fraud in 2020-2021.  

 After a cyberattack, it’s important that you act as quickly as possible. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has a comprehensive list of steps to take to protect yourself from further harm. Most importantly, you should: 

  • Contact your bank if you’ve sent money or personal banking details to a scammer 
  • Change your online passwords  
  • Report the scam or cyberattack  

Even if the attack on you was unsuccessful, it’s still important to report the scam. In some cases, doing so can help authorities take action to prevent others falling victim to the same scammer or crime type in the future, and at the very least, a report helps to provide more accurate data on cybercrime activity and trends.  

Each country has different reporting channels for cybercrime, making it all the more difficult to know where to go. To make it a bit easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best places to report a scam or cyberattack in your country.  

Australia

ReportCyber  

Run by the Australian Cyber Security Centre, ReportCyber (formerly ACORN) allows victims of cybercrime to make a report to the police online. This service can be used by individuals, small or medium sized businesses, organisations, and government departments or agencies, and allows you to report anonymously.  

ReportCyber should only be used by those that have suffered a loss of personal information or money. If you have suffered a loss, you can start a report here 

You can also call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) 

Scamwatch 

 One of the best places to report any scam attempt is Scamwatch, which is a website run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Scamwatch provides the public with data on scams, which they use to warn Australians about emerging threats. While they aren’t able to help you directly if you’ve fallen victim to a scam, they do offer useful advice 

You can start a report here 

New Zealand

CERT NZ  

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a NZ government initiative which supports anyone that has, or may have been, affected by a cyber security incident.  

CERT NZ use information entered into the report below to help individuals, businesses and organisations identify the cyber issue and give advice on how to resolve it or will refer the case on to a Partner organisation (with permission) for investigation if necessary. They also use the data collected to “create advice and guidance for others who might be experiencing the same issue”.  

You can start a report here 

NetSafe 

Any online issues, including privacy breaches, fraud, online trading complaints, harassment, bullying and abuse can be reported to NetSafe, which is New Zealand’s biggest independent, not-for-profit online safety organisation. NetSafe provides free and confidential advice for all reports.  

You can start a report here 

United States

Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) 

The IC3 is a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with the mission to provide American citizens with a reliable and convenient way to report cybercrime incidents. “After you file a complaint with the IC3, the information is reviewed by an analyst and forwarded to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies with jurisdiction, as appropriate.” 

You can start a report here 

ReportFraud 

A Government initiative which falls under the Federal Trade Commission, ReportFraud allows members of the public to report fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Although they cannot resolve individual cases, they do share reports with more than 3,000 law enforcers to investigate and build cases.  

This is a great service if you’d like to report a scam, such as a phishing email or phone call, where you didn’t actually suffer a loss.  

You can start a report here 


United Kingdom

Action Fraud 

In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, if you have been scammed, defrauded, or experienced other forms of cybercrime, you can report it to Action Fraud, which is the UK’s national cybercrime primary reporting centre. The service has advisors available 24 hours a day to give you help or advice if it’s needed.  

To submit a report for a phishing attempt which was made via phone call or SMS, click here. 

For other cybercrimes, you can start a report here 

Police Scotland 

According to CyberScotland, Scotland does not currently have an official online reporting system for cybercrime. Instead, you can report a scam or cyber incident: 

  • In person at any police station 
  • By calling 101 (for non-emergencies) or 999 (for emergencies) 

 It’s also recommended that you: 

  • Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 
  • Submit a report to the National Cyber Security Centre about any websites you think are fake or trying to scam you 

In many phishing attempts, scammers imitate well-known brands, using their trusted name or large customer base to their advantage. It is also important to make reports to the company that is being mimicked, as well as the organisations listed above, so that they can warn other customers. Generally, the company will have a page on their website which details how you can report a scam. For example, Apple provide an email address to report phishing attempts, or for suspicious SMS messages.  

Stay Protected 

Of course, prevention is always better than a cure, and the best defence is for your business to proactively boost its cyber resilience levels to avoid threats landing in inboxes in the first place. The fact that a staggering 91% of cyberattacks begin with a phishing email makes email an extremely important vector for businesses to fortify.  

For a confidential discussion about your cyber readiness, and to see how MailGuard can help to keep your business, your team, and your data secure, reach out to our team at expert@mailguard.com.au. 

What cybersecurity issues are you interested in knowing about? If you have any ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

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