Stop. Think. Check. — Before a Scammer Makes the Decision for You - I't's Scam Awareness Week Australia

Scammers make me angry.

Perhaps that isn't the most philosophical way to begin a Deb Eternal reflection, but sometimes plain speaking is warranted. I know people who have been caught by scams, and through my line of work I hear far too many stories about people who have lost money, trust and sometimes much more.

Sometimes protecting ourselves begins with doing nothing for thirty seconds. Stop. Think. Check.

The people deliberately orchestrating these scams are exploiting ordinary human beings for profit. They prey on fear, loneliness, trust, hope, confusion and sometimes simply a moment when someone is busy and isn't paying quite enough attention.

And they are getting very good at it.

So during Scams Awareness Week, I think there are three little words worth remembering:

Stop. Think. Check.

Before you click.

Before you transfer money.

Before you give someone a verification code.

Before you believe the person messaging you is really your child.

Before you accept that the person you've developed an online relationship with is necessarily who they say they are.

Before you buy something from an unfamiliar website.

Before you sell something to a stranger who has suddenly created an unnecessarily complicated payment arrangement.

Before you respond to the urgent message supposedly coming from your bank, myGov, a government department, a delivery company or someone you know.

Stop. Think. Check.

That small interruption between receiving a message and responding to it may be one of the most valuable habits we can develop online.

Scams Are No Longer Always Obvious

We used to joke about badly written emails promising enormous inheritances from mysterious overseas benefactors.

Those scams haven't entirely disappeared, but the world has changed.

Today's scams can involve convincing websites, social media profiles, investment platforms, online marketplaces, text messages, emails, phone calls and relationships cultivated over weeks or months.

Scamwatch currently warns Australians about everything from impersonation and buying-and-selling scams to investment schemes and fake online relationships. Recent warnings have also included fake cryptocurrency trading platforms promoted through social media and messaging groups.

And one of the most dangerous beliefs we can carry is:

I'd never fall for that.

Because intelligence doesn't make us immune to manipulation.

A scammer doesn't necessarily need to convince us that something ridiculous is true. They may simply need to reach us at the right emotional moment.

When we're frightened.

When we're lonely.

When we're excited.

When we're trying to help someone.

When we're rushing.

Or when something appears to be exactly the opportunity we've been waiting for.

The Scam Often Begins With Emotion

This is the part of scams that fascinates me.

Technology may deliver the scam, but human psychology often opens the door.

Urgency says:

Do it now.

Fear says:

Something terrible will happen if you don't.

Greed or hope says:

Imagine what this money could become.

Love says:

This person cares about me.

Compassion says:

Someone needs my help.

Authority says:

They sound official, so it must be legitimate.

Scammers understand these reactions remarkably well.

Which is why slowing down matters.

Urgency is often the enemy of good judgement.

If someone doesn't want you to stop and independently verify what they're telling you, that alone should make you suspicious.

Check Somewhere Else

This might be the simplest practical advice in this entire post.

Don't verify suspicious communication using the information contained within the suspicious communication.

If your bank supposedly contacts you, don't automatically call the number in the message.

Find your bank's official website, banking app or the number printed on your card.

If someone claims to represent a government organisation, independently find that organisation's official contact information.

If a family member suddenly messages saying they've lost their phone and desperately need money, contact them another way.

If someone you've met online eventually needs money for an emergency, medical treatment, travel, investment opportunity or some other unexpected crisis, stop.

Check.

Talk to someone you trust.

And above all else, give yourself permission to walk away.

Buying and Selling Deserves the Same Caution

Online marketplaces have made buying and selling incredibly convenient, but convenience can make us careless.

Scamwatch recommends checking independent reviews and examining the history of marketplace sellers. It also warns people to be suspicious of unusual payment arrangements.

Whether you're the buyer or the seller, don't allow someone else to rush the transaction.

Don't move conversations away from a trusted platform simply because the other person insists.

Don't send money because someone claims you need to “upgrade” an account before receiving payment.

Don't trust screenshots as proof that money has been transferred.

Check your own account.

Your money is worth another thirty seconds of your time.

And Then There Are Relationships

This is perhaps the cruellest kind of scam because what is stolen isn't always just money.

It's trust.

Someone can spend weeks or months building a relationship before asking for anything. By then, the emotional connection may feel completely real to the person being targeted.

That is precisely why telling victims they were foolish achieves very little.

We need people to feel comfortable saying:

Something doesn't feel right. Can you look at this with me?

There should be no embarrassment in checking.

There should be no embarrassment in asking someone else what they think.

And there should certainly be no embarrassment in reporting a scam.

The shame belongs with the person committing the deception.

If You Think You've Been Scammed and What Scams Awareness Week Can Teach Us

Act quickly.

Scamwatch advises people who have lost money or provided financial information to contact their bank or card provider immediately and ask whether transactions can be stopped. Passwords and affected accounts should also be secured as quickly as possible.

Report the scam as well. Even when money hasn't been lost, reports can help authorities identify emerging scams and warn other Australians.

If personal information or identity documents may have been compromised, IDCARE provides identity and cyber support to Australians and New Zealanders.

And if the incident involves cybercrime, Australia's ReportCyber service may also be appropriate.

Don't remain silent because you're embarrassed.

Your story might prevent the next person from becoming a victim.

A Thought to Take With You

We shouldn't have to approach every stranger with suspicion.

We shouldn't have to question every message, every relationship or every opportunity.

But unfortunately, sometimes we do.

The answer isn't necessarily becoming cynical.

It's creating a little space between emotion and action.

A message arrives.

Something feels urgent.

Someone wants money.

Someone wants information.

Someone wants access.

Someone wants you to trust them.

Stop.

Think.

Check.

Then decide.

Because thirty seconds of hesitation might save money that took years to earn.

It might protect your identity.

It might protect someone you love.

And sometimes the most powerful word you can give a scammer is simply:

No.

Namaste

Deb xx

Thoughtful writing across life, mind, and meaning.

📚 Read With Me

The Confidence Game — Maria Konnikova

This book is on my list of books to read. It explores how con artists gain our trust, why intelligent people can still be deceived, and the psychology behind believing someone who isn't what they appear to be.

If you're curious about the psychology behind scams and deception, perhaps you might like to read it with me.

Find this book in the Deb Eternal Book Library →