Have you received a phone call, email or message from someone this year that seemed a little dodgy?

They may have claimed to be from an organisation you’ve dealt with before or heard of, but something wasn’t quite right.

When someone tries to get money from someone by pretending to be someone they’re not, it’s called an impersonation scam. Data from Scamwatch indicates three-out-of-four scams reported to the authority have some impersonation element.

In 2023 alone, there were more than 81,000 impersonation scams reported and more than $92 million stolen from people through these scams, Scamwatch data shows.

Types of impersonation scam

While impersonation scams take many different forms, Scamwatch statistics most impersonation scams:

• Arrive as a text message; and
• Claim to be from family, government or roads or toll companies.

Scams claiming to be from banks or financial institutions have resulted in the highest losses.

How to spot an impersonation scam

Recognising impersonation scams can sometimes be tricky, but Scamwatch has the following tips.

1. Call the company’s main number to confirm if the message is real

If you’re not sure of the source, you can hang up and call back the company’s main number or ignore the message entirely until you’ve independently confirmed it’s real. Don’t click a link in a text.

2. Delete messages that look suspicious

If you’re unsure, it’s better to be safe. Again, you can contact the brand or company directly to see if the message is from them or a scammer.

3. Warn friends and family

If you’ve come across a scam, let people in your network know. The information could help them to spot a fraudster, too.

For more tips, head to Scamwatch.gov.au.