Scams Awareness Week 2026, running from Monday 24 to Friday 28 August, is a reminder for all of us to recognise, avoid and report scams.

This year's theme, 'No one's just a number', highlights that behind every scam report is a real person. Scams can happen to anyone.

Scamwatch’s Scam Stories highlight the importance of sharing experiences of fraud and cybercrime. Several videos feature real Australians discussing how scammers are finding new ways to make scams appear genuine.

Scams continue to have a significant impact on Victorian businesses and consumers. Scamwatch data shows that Victorians lost $64.4 million to more than 46,000 scams in 2025.

Small businesses are often the target of scammers because they know you’re busy managing customers, suppliers and day-to-day operations.

Scamwatch recommends three simple actions to help protect yourself from scams:

• Stop before sharing money or personal information.
• Check that the person or organisation contacting you is genuine.
• Protect yourself and others by reporting scams and acting quickly if something feels wrong.

Scams Awareness Week is a great opportunity for all businesses to review their cybersecurity practices and build awareness among staff.

Consider the following:

• refreshing your processes for verifying payment details
• enabling multi-factor authentication
• training employees to identify suspicious communications
• creating a clear procedure for reporting potential scams.

Talking openly about scams helps reduce stigma, encourages reporting and makes it harder for scammers to succeed.

You can help by sharing scam prevention tips through newsletters, websites and social media channels. Together, Victorian small businesses can help create a safer online environment for everyone.

Take this opportunity to browse through the following resources:

• How 2 small businesses recovered from a cyber attack
• Recognising and protecting your business from cybersecurity threats
• Types of scams impacting your business