Scamwatch

Consumer Protection / Scam Awareness Servicesscamwatch.gov.au

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersCanberra, Australia
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Scamwatch does

Scamwatch is a free, public-facing Australian government platform that provides scam awareness education, prevention guidance, and a centralized reporting portal for Australians. It is operated by the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), a division of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and serves the entire Australian population, with tailored content for small businesses, First Nations peoples, and multilingual communities. The platform is funded through federal government appropriations and generates no commercial revenue.

The core technology stack is a web-based portal (portal.scamwatch.gov.au and scamwatch.gov.au) that collects scam reports via online forms, publishes scam alerts and news, and integrates with the National Anti-Scam Centre's fusion cell structure for coordinated enforcement. Key products include the Stop. Check. Protect. awareness framework, The Little Book of Scams (available in 17+ languages plus First Nations and Easy Read editions), an interactive Power BI Scam Statistics Dashboard updated monthly, a Scam Stories video library, the annual Targeting Scams Report, the Scams Awareness Week annual campaign, and interactive tools such as the scam-sense quiz and online relationship health check. Supporting technology includes Mailchimp for email distribution, ReadSpeaker for accessibility, and an RSS feed.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and publicly funded. Scamwatch distributes content through its own website, email alerts, Instagram (@scamwatchgovau), Threads, YouTube, the First Nations Infoline (1300 303 143), and an extensive referral network of partner organizations including ACSC, eSafety Commissioner, OAIC, IDCARE, ASIC, COSBOA, NITV, and Monash University. Combined scam reporting across Scamwatch, ReportCyber, IDCARE, AFCX and ASIC yielded 481,523 reports and $2.18 billion in reported losses in 2025, providing the data backbone for fusion cell coordination with the AFP and other enforcement bodies.

Scamwatch firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Scamwatch
Legal name: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
Website: https://scamwatch.gov.au
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Scamwatch industry classification

Industry

Product category: Consumer Protection / Scam Awareness Services
NAICS: Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (9221), Investigation and Security Services (5616)
akta.pro primary industry: Fraud Risk & Financial Crime Controls Advisory (BPAKADAL)

Keywords

Scam awareness education
Scam reporting services
Consumer protection resources
Cyber fraud prevention
Government public service

Where Scamwatch is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Canberra
HQ country: Australia
HQ region: Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

Scamwatch business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Government-funded public service: Scamwatch is a free government service funded by the Australian federal government through the National Anti-Scam Centre, which operates under the ACCC. There is no direct revenue generation from users; the service is funded by public budget allocations to protect Australians from scams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Scamwatch product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Scamwatch operates a free public reporting portal and scam awareness platform where Australians can report scams, access educational resources on scam types and prevention methods, and receive real-time alerts about emerging scam threats. The platform is operated by the National Anti-Scam Centre within the ACCC and serves as Australia's centralized government resource for scam education, prevention guidance, and coordinated reporting to law enforcement.

Product overview

Scamwatch is a government scam awareness and reporting platform operated by the National Anti-Scam Centre within the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). It functions as a comprehensive public resource providing scam education, prevention guidance, and a reporting portal for Australians. The core offering includes the Scam Reporting Portal for submitting scam reports, the Stop. Check. Protect. awareness campaign framework, and extensive educational content covering all scam types. Supporting resources include The Little Book of Scams (available in 18 languages including Easy Read and First Nations versions), the Scam Statistics interactive dashboard, Scam Stories video library with real victim testimonials, the annual Targeting Scams Report, and the annual Scams Awareness Week campaign. Specialised content exists for small businesses, First Nations peoples, and multilingual communities. Interactive tools include a scam sense quiz and online relationship health check. The platform integrates with social media (Instagram, Threads, YouTube), Mailchimp for newsletters, and refers victims to IDCARE support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Scam Reporting Portal
Stop. Check. Protect. Campaign
The Little Book of Scams
Scam Statistics Dashboard
Targeting Scams Report
Scams Awareness Week
Types of Scams Information Hub
Post-Scam Recovery Guide
Small Business Scam Protection Resources
First Nations Peoples Resources
Multilingual Scam Information
Scam Stories Videos
Quiz - Test Your Scam Sense

Quantifiable outcome

481,523 scam reports collected in 2025 with $2.18 billion in combined losses reported
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use Scamwatch

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Scamwatch technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Scamwatch partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

Australian Federal PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026The AFP obtained contact details during a money laundering prosecution investigation and passed them to the National Anti-Scam Centre to contact victims. This represents law enforcement coordination to assist scam victims.
National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC)coreOthersScamwatch is operated by and is the scams awareness and reporting part of the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), which works across government and the private sector to protect Australians from scams. NASC coordinates efforts from multiple agencies and leads fusion cells targeting specific scam types.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)coreOthersScamwatch is a service of the ACCC, which acknowledges Traditional Custodians of the lands across Australia. The ACCC provides governance and oversight for Scamwatch operations.
IDCAREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDCARE is Australia and New Zealand's national identity and cyber support service. Scamwatch refers victims to IDCARE for free support plans to limit the damage from scams. IDCARE also delivers the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service for businesses with 19 or fewer employees.
Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ACSC monitors cyber threats globally and provides information about how to protect yourself and your business online. Referenced as a key partner in helping Australians with cyber security incidents.
eSafety CommissionermoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnereSafety helps Australians experiencing online bullying or abuse to take action or make a complaint. They offer online safety training, presentations and workshops. Referenced as a related site for additional safety resources.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAIC investigates privacy breaches and handles data breach reports. They provide guidance and advice for consumers and business on how to protect personal information. Referenced as a related site for privacy protection resources.
ReportCybercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the combined reporting system for scam statistics. Victims can make official police reports to ReportCyber for cybercrime incidents.
Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes to combined scam loss reporting alongside Scamwatch, ReportCyber, IDCARE, and ASIC. Part of the financial crime intelligence network.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASIC contributes to combined scam statistics and their Moneysmart website provides investment scam warnings. Scamwatch advises checking ASIC's website to verify if an investment person or company is licensed.
NITV (National Indigenous Television)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNITV hosts the Goodways podcast series about scams affecting First Nations communities, featuring hosts Aunty Rhoda Roberts and Shahni Wellington, with episodes including interviews from the National Anti-Scam Centre.
Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSBOA delivers the Cyber Wardens program which empowers small business owners and their employees to become the first line of defence against cyber threats. Referenced as a resource for small business protection.
Australian Signals DirectoratemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Australian Cyber Security Centre, provides guidance on protecting against business email compromise scams and offers the Cyber Health Check Tool for small businesses.
Monash UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Kate Gould, neuropsychologist and Senior Researcher at Monash University, provides expert advice on scam psychology and how to support scam victims, featured in Scamwatch resources.
COTA NSWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil on the Ageing NSW partnered with the National Anti-Scam Centre to produce the 'Stop. Better safe than scammed' seminar video featuring industry leaders on how to Stay. Check. Protect.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Scamwatch competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

ACCC Scamwatch parent — Australian Competition and Consumer Commission: Parent federal agency of Scamwatch; a broad incumbent Australian consumer protection regulator with enforcement powers beyond scams (competition, pricing, consumer guarantees).
National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC): Parent organisation of Scamwatch coordinating cross-government and private-sector scam disruption; broader mandate than Scamwatch itself, including fusion cells and private-sector partnerships.

Direct peers

IDCARE: Australia and New Zealand's national identity and cyber support service. Direct functional peer — Scamwatch refers victims to IDCARE for free support plans, and IDCARE contributes to combined scam loss reporting.
Action Fraud (UK): UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, operated by the City of London Police. Most direct functional peer to Scamwatch — public-facing reporting, awareness campaigns, and coordination with law enforcement and regulators.
FTC Consumer Sentinel Network: US FTC-operated secure online database of consumer complaints including fraud. Closely mirrors Scamwatch's complaint-aggregation and public-awareness publishing role for a national consumer protection agency.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC): Canada's central fraud reporting and intelligence unit, operated by the RCMP and Competition Bureau. Highly comparable to Scamwatch — public reporting, fraud prevention education, and partnership-driven disruption.
ASIC Moneysmart: ASIC-run consumer financial education platform that issues investment scam warnings and license checks. Direct peer in scam-specific consumer awareness within the Australian financial regulator ecosystem.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): US federal hub for reporting internet-enabled crime, run by the FBI. Comparable to Scamwatch in role as central aggregator of cybercrime/scam complaints feeding into federal law enforcement and producing annual public reports.
Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC): Australian government cyber threat monitoring and advice agency, run by the Australian Signals Directorate. Peer in cyber-awareness publishing and small business cyber resilience, with overlapping audiences.

Regional players

Europol Cybercrime Centre: EU-level cybercrime coordination hub. Not a direct national reporting portal, but a regional peer in cross-border scam disruption that supports national equivalents of Scamwatch across Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Scamwatch financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Scamwatch leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Scamwatch funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Scamwatch M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scamwatch

What does Scamwatch do?

Is Scamwatch a public or private company?

Scamwatch is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Scamwatch founded?

Scamwatch was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Scamwatch based?

Scamwatch is headquartered in Canberra, Australia, in the Oceania region.

How does Scamwatch make money?

One revenue line is on record: government-funded public service.

Who are Scamwatch's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are ACCC Scamwatch parent — Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC). Direct peers are IDCARE, Action Fraud (UK), FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), ASIC Moneysmart, FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). Europol Cybercrime Centre is listed as a regional player.

Does Scamwatch have an API?

No public API is recorded for Scamwatch.

What industry is Scamwatch in?

Scamwatch's product category is Consumer Protection / Scam Awareness Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKADAL, Fraud Risk & Financial Crime Controls Advisory. Its NAICS code is 9221.