Scams can come in many forms, such as text messages and emails. If you received an email or text message telling you that you have won a lottery that you have never entered, it is most likely a scam.

You can avoid being the victim of a scam if you are careful with personal information. Never give out your personal information to unknown or unsecure sources. If you think it might be a scam, don’t reply at all and delete it straight away.

What if it looks official? A bank would not generally send you an email telling you there is suspicious activity in your account and then ask you to verify your personal details. These dodgy emails are called phishing. If you want to check any details with your bank, you should always use the official phone number or website and never the phone number, email link or website link in the suspicious email.

If you get an email or text message that you want to report as a scam contact SCAMwatch.

SCAMwatch also provides information about how to recognise and avoid scams.