The legal framework
Reports go to the national anti-scam centre through Scamwatch, and to the police cybercrime portal for criminal matters. A scams prevention framework imposes enforceable obligations on banks, telecommunications providers and digital platforms to prevent, detect and disrupt scams, with penalties for failure. Banks operate a fraud reporting line reachable at any hour, and suspicious texts are forwarded free to a national short code.
Key points
| Reporting | Scamwatch, run by the national anti-scam centre |
|---|---|
| Criminal reporting | National police cybercrime portal |
| Statutory duties | Banks, telecoms and platforms have enforceable anti-scam obligations |
| Bank fraud lines | Available at any hour, by law |
| Suspicious texts | Forward free to the national short code |
| Financial complaints | Free, binding external dispute resolution scheme |
| Cryptocurrency | Effectively unrecoverable |
In practice
- Report to Scamwatch and to the police portal: they serve different purposes.
- If the bank refuses, escalate free of charge to the financial complaints authority, which can make binding decisions.
- Cite the statutory obligations when complaining: banks now have defined duties, not just goodwill.
- Ask the bank in writing whether it met its own anti-scam obligations — the answer matters for any later claim.
Cost and coverage
All reporting and the complaints authority are free.
Where to go
- Scamwatch, at the national anti-scam centre.
- Police cybercrime reporting portal.
- Your bank's fraud line, immediately.
- Australian Financial Complaints Authority, free and binding.
Worth knowing
The financial complaints authority is the underused lever here: it is free, independent and its decisions bind the bank. Many refusals are reversed at that stage.
Official sources and links
- Scamwatch — National Anti-Scam Centre reporting and current alerts
- ReportCyber — Australian Signals Directorate cyber incident reporting
- Australian Financial Complaints Authority — free and binding if the bank refuses
- Moneysmart investor alert list — ASIC's list of unlicensed companies and websites, updated daily
- Federal Register of Legislation — Commonwealth law as made and in force
- Services Australia — government services and payments