How to Report Spam Calls and SMS in Australia

You hung up on the scammer and deleted the dodgy text — but the job is only half done. Every report Australians file feeds the intelligence that gets scam numbers disconnected, triggers enforcement action, and warns the next potential victim. Australia has several official reporting channels, each with a different purpose, and using the right one takes only a few minutes. Here is exactly where each type of nuisance call and message should go.

Report scams to Scamwatch

Scamwatch, run through the National Anti-Scam Centre at scamwatch.gov.au, is Australia's main scam-reporting service. Report here whenever someone tried to steal your money or personal details — whether or not they succeeded. Scamwatch uses reports to track active campaigns, issue public warnings, and share suspect numbers with telcos and the ACMA for blocking.

Filing a report takes a few minutes on the website. Include as much detail as you can: the phone number or sender name, what the caller or message said, any links or payment details involved, and whether you lost money. Even unsuccessful attempts matter — a scam text you spotted instantly might catch the next person, and your report helps authorities see the campaign spreading. Check the site for current guidance on exactly what to include.

Forward scam texts to the ACMA

For spam and scam SMS, the fastest action is forwarding the message:

• Forward the text to 0429 999 888. This is the ACMA's spam-reporting service. You will receive an acknowledgement text in reply, and forwarding costs whatever your carrier charges for a standard SMS.
• Report online at acma.gov.au/spam for a fuller complaint, including unwanted marketing emails and calls that break the spam and telemarketing rules.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is the regulator that enforces Australia's spam and telemarketing laws and takes action — including large penalties — against businesses that break them. It also oversees the telco rules under which carriers now block huge volumes of scam calls and texts before they reach anyone. Your forwarded texts become part of that enforcement intelligence.

Report cybercrime to ReportCyber

If a scam involved hacking, identity theft, online fraud, or threats, also report it to ReportCyber at report.cyber.gov.au, run by the Australian Cyber Security Centre. ReportCyber is the right channel when a crime has been committed online — for example, you paid money to a scammer, gave remote access to your computer, or had accounts compromised.

For significant financial losses, file a police report with your state or territory police as well. Banks and insurers often require a police report number before they can process fraud claims, so do this early rather than waiting.

Complain about telemarketers

Legitimate telemarketing is legal in Australia, but it has strict rules: permitted calling hours, a requirement to identify the business, and an obligation to stop calling numbers on the Do Not Call Register. When businesses break these rules, complain:

1. First, register your number at donotcall.gov.au or on 1300 792 958 if you have not already — registration is free.
2. If registered numbers keep getting telemarketing calls, or any caller refuses to identify themselves, lodge a complaint through the ACMA's website.
3. Keep notes: the date and time of the call, the number shown, the business name given, and what was offered.

Overseas scammers ignore the register entirely, so a scam call is a Scamwatch matter, not a Do Not Call complaint. But Australian businesses that flout the telemarketing rules face real enforcement action, and complaints are how those cases start.

Report to your carrier and bank

Your telco and your bank both want to hear about scam attempts:

• Your carrier (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, or your smaller provider) can block scam numbers at the network level and advise on filtering options for your plan. Telstra customers can also report scam texts to its dedicated reporting number — check your carrier's official support pages for the current details.
• Your bank needs to know immediately about any impersonation attempt using its name, even if you did not lose money. Banks track these campaigns, warn other customers, and can flag your account for extra monitoring.
• IDCARE on 1800 595 160 is Australia's free identity-support service. If you handed over personal details, call them for a tailored recovery plan.

What to record before you report

Good reports get faster action. Before the details fade, note:

• The phone number or sender name exactly as displayed.
• The date and time of the call or message.
• What was said or written — screenshots of texts are ideal.
• Any links, payment details, or instructions the scammer gave.
• Whether you lost money or shared details, and how much.

Then block the number, delete the message, and file the reports. The whole process takes less time than the scam call wasted — and unlike the call, it helps dismantle the operation behind it. Australia's scam defences run on reports from ordinary people who took five minutes: be one of them.