Did you know that, during 2009, Australians lost almost $70 million to scams? Worryingly, this figure only represents losses that were reported to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which means that many more millions of dollars may have been lost.

To help create awareness of scams and other types of fraud, the Commonwealth Bank supported National Consumer Fraud Week, an initiative of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce, in March 2011. The focus was on scams and the personal nature this type of fraud can take.

Scams can appear in a variety of forms – including online, phone and mail – and scammers target individuals regardless of their age, gender, education or income. Whether you are answering a phone call, opening mail, chatting online with friends, shopping over the internet or even looking for love, you could be targeted by a scam.

• Protect your identity. Your personal details are private and invaluable – make sure you keep them that way.
• Don’t respond. Ignore suspicious emails, letters, phone calls or text messages – delete them, throw them out or just hang up.
• Don’t let scammers push your buttons. Scammers will play on your emotions to get what they want.
• Resist the personal touch. Watch out for scammers posing as someone that you know and trust, or pretending to know you.
• Independently verify. Look out for scammers posing as a trusted expert or as someone working for an organisation you trust.