Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unfortunately, scams have become a regular occurrence in all of our lives. I'm often approached by constituents telling me they've received suspicious texts and phone calls and have been affected by scams. Scams are costing Australians a staggering $3.1 billion a year.

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting a community scams forum of over 50 people with the Hon. Stephen Jones as guest speaker. It was a fantastic opportunity for residents of Werriwa to learn how to recognise a scam, protect themselves and react if they think they've been scammed and ask important questions. We must all adapt in the face of these growing and complex scams, both on an individual level and also as a society and as a government, and remember that you're not at fault, because they can be very convincing.

I know the assistant minister is working hard to find solutions for the scams that are happening every day in our community and in communities all around Australia. And I'd really like to thank him and all members of my community for coming to the scams forum. My office still has a number of copies of The Little Black Book of Scams, so, if you'd like to get in contact with us, we are more than happy to send one out or talk to you about any concerns that you might have.