Are we doing enough?
Are We Doing Enough?
On Sunday, June 22, 2025, I received a phone call from a man in his late 60s. He was deeply concerned yet hopeful; he felt he was finally taking the right steps. He told me he was a widower; his wife had died in tragic circumstances in the mid-2000s. For years, he had managed to rebuild his life. Then, seeking companionship, he entered the world of online dating, where scammers were waiting.
He lost $40,000, believing he was helping a lawyer secure a green card to move to the USA. The heartbreak didn’t end there. He became the target of a recovery scam, a cruel second act where criminals promise to help victims get their money back, if only they pay again. That’s when he reached out to me. We talked about his life, loss, and the scam for over an hour. He revealed that he had sent the scammers copies of his driver’s license, passport, and other sensitive documents. We made a plan together, and he promised to check in with me during the week.
This conversation left me asking: Are we doing enough?
Australia Has Made Only Small Steps
Australia has made progress, but these are only small steps. The government’s Scam Prevention Framework Act is a move in the right direction. Still, it leaves significant gaps in consumer protections and is not yet strong enough to fully shield Australians from scams. Establishing the National Anti-Scam Centre, Scamwatch, IDCare, and banking fraud departments has helped. Still, these services are often unavailable on weekends, leaving victims without support when needed. Even with new banking industry measures like the Scam-Safe Accord, the reality is that law enforcement actions are limited, particularly because so many scammers operate from overseas.
Police Are Under-Resourced and Victims Are Left Behind
A critical issue is that police are under-resourced and often unable to deal with the complexity and scale of these crimes. Many frontline officers lack the specialist skills and tools needed to investigate cybercrime, and there is a disconnect between what the community expects and what police can realistically deliver. This gap is painfully clear in real cases. A Queensland police officer recently told the family of a scam victim, “We can’t do anything, you need to report it to Cyber.” The family, having just discovered their loved one had lost $300,000 to scammers, was left with a deep sense of frustration and helplessness. They wanted action but were told to fill out an online form and wait. When speaking to the family, we discussed this frustration, and they understood this situation; however, they wanted someone to talk to, not a form to fill in.
Victims Need More Than Forms, They Need People
Victims don’t want to sit in front of a computer filling in forms while in crisis; they want to talk to someone who understands. Right now, during those critical weekend hours, private enterprises and Facebook support groups are often the only people available to listen.
I am available seven days a week, 365 days a year. I will answer the phone on Christmas Day if someone needs help. But I am just one person, a sole independent operator. Is it time for government and private enterprise to come together to disrupt these organized crime syndicates and protect Australians from this evil?
Shouldn’t all police services, agencies, and investigators work collaboratively to support our fellow citizens?
We aren’t doing enough. More must be done.
It’s time we unite all governmental and non-governmental parties to form a national scam-fight club, a united front present daily, ready to support, disrupt, and protect scam victims.
Only then can we truly say we are doing enough for scam victims.