7 – 11 November 2022 is National Scams Awareness Week.  With Australians reporting a $1.76 billion loss to scammers in 2021, it is vital that we remain alert to the risk of scams.

What can you do?

• Learn more about scams
  • From scamwatch.gov.au or by following their Twitter account @scamwatch_gov. You can even sign up for email alerts.
  • Check out the articles on how to protect yourself from scams previously posted to the Seniors Enquiry Line website
• Attend information sessions on scams and online safety
• Talk to your friends and families about the scams you hear about or are contacted by

Have you been affected by a scam?

If you are concerned your personal information has been compromised or if you have been impacted by a scam, there are many services that can support you. Such as IDCare and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.  ACSC has recently launched an online tool Have I Been Hacked to help understand the impact of scams and provide instructions on what to do and who to contact to protect your information.

Seniors Enquiry Line’s Scams Awareness Project

The Seniors Enquiry Line has a Scams Awareness project which aims to educate Queensland Seniors on avoiding scams. The Seniors Enquiry Line facilitates information sessions that focus on scams awareness, current scams and how you can protect yourself from scams.

Some scams, are easy to spot so you delete it, hang up and don’t even give it a second thought.  Some scams though are so plausible and convincing that you may not be sure.  Sometimes you just need someone to talk to about your concerns and work out a plan.  Anyone is able to call through the Seniors Enquiry Line on 1300 135 500 to discuss their concerns.  We can provide information on what to do and how to protect yourself. 

If you want to have a discussion with someone about how you can protect yourself from scams or to organise an information session, please contact the Seniors Enquiry Line on 1300 135 500 or at sel@uccommunity.org.au