With South Australians losing more than $6 million to scams over the first half of this year, the State Government is urging people to protect themselves and learn the signs of a scam.

This week is Scams Awareness Week - an important national campaign reminding Australians how to recognise, avoid and report scams.

This year, that message is particularly important with South Australians losing more than $6 million to scams in the first half of 2026 as scammers become increasingly savvy.

More than $3.5 million of that was lost to investment scams, which promise people big returns for supposedly low-risk investments.

A further $730,000 was lost through account and identity takeover scams, where criminals gain access to people's personal information, computers or mobile devices and use their identity for financial gain.

Scammers are increasingly sophisticated and organised financial criminals. They are harnessing artificial intelligence and stolen personal data to make their approaches more convincing and increasingly difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications.

One emerging example is known as "scambling". These scams use fake online gambling and casino platforms to encourage people to deposit money, manipulate the results and then prevent people from withdrawing supposed winnings or demand further payments.

Consumers are being urged to:

• Stop: Scammers always try to create a sense of urgency or use high pressure tactics to encourage you to act quickly. Always take a moment to think through what is happening and don’t let anyone pressure you into immediate action.
• Check: Take steps to independently verify whether the person you’re dealing with is real. If they say they’re calling from a specific business or organisation, find that group’s contact details independently and contact them direct.
• Protect: If you think you’ve been taken in by a scam – act immediately. Time is of the essence. Contact your bank, get advice from IDCARE if you’ve shared personal information and report the scam to Scamwatch.

No one should be embarrassed about being deceived by scammers. The State Government is encouraging South Australians to talk about scams with their family and their friends - particularly those who may be more vulnerable or have less understanding of online dangers.

To report a scam, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.