Australians are urged to be on the lookout for threat-based impersonation scams by taking a moment to Stop and check: is this for real?

In these scams, scammers pretend to be from a government agency or well-known company. Their aim is to scare you into parting with your money or personal information and if you don’t, they threaten you with fines, disconnecting your internet, taking you to court, arrest or even deportation.

If you’re contacted unexpectedly and threatened by someone who says they’re from a government agency or trusted business, always consider the possibility that it may be a scam – then stop and check if it’s for real.

For more tips and information about these scams, where to get help or to report a scam, visit the Scamwatch website

Note that if you are on the Australian Government ‘Do Not Call’ register, this will not deter scammers from calling you – their aim is to rob you, so they won’t be respecting your registered wish to not be called.

To discover more resources that can help you to keep your family safe online, click here to go to our Online Resources page, and then click on the eSmart logo.