Reporting spam and scams in Australia

Reporting spam and scams doesn’t always feel worth the effort, but it does help. Australian agencies use reports to identify trends, warn others, and take action against the worst offenders.

Reporting spam to the ACMA

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) handles complaints about email and SMS spam.

For SMS spam: Forward the message to 0429 999 888. Your standard sending rate applies. Don’t change the message — send it as-is.

For email spam: Forward the email, without any changes to the subject line or content, to report@submit.spam.acma.gov.au.

Before reporting, it’s worth taking a few steps to reduce spam yourself:

• Don’t tick marketing subscription boxes when completing online forms — they are often pre-ticked by default.
• Read the fine print before entering competitions or signing up for services.
• Block sender numbers and email addresses in your email or phone app.
• Don’t reply to spam to “unsubscribe” unless you recognise the sender — for unknown senders, replying confirms your address is active.

Reporting a scam to Scamwatch

Scamwatch, run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), is the main place to report scams in Australia. You can file a report at scamwatch.gov.au.

The report form asks about the type of scam and basic details about what happened. Reports help Scamwatch track emerging scam types and issue public warnings.

Common scam types worth knowing:

• Identity theft — scammers steal personal information to commit fraud in your name.
• Romance scams — scammers build a fake relationship online before asking for money or personal details.
• Buying and selling scams — fake listings or buyers on marketplaces.
• Unexpected prize or winnings — you have “won” something you never entered, but first you need to pay a fee or provide your details.

If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. When in doubt, don’t hand over money or personal information until you’ve independently verified who you’re dealing with.

If you’ve already been scammed

• Contact your bank immediately if money has moved or you’ve shared financial details.
• Change your passwords if you’ve entered login details on a suspicious site.
• Report to Scamwatch even if you lost money — it helps others.
• Contact IDCARE (Australia’s national identity and cyber support service) if your personal information has been compromised: idcare.org.

If you’re unsure whether something is a scam, feel free to forward it to us at help@jezweb.net — we’re happy to take a look.