• ING is urging everyone to become a “Scambassador”; a new group of Australians that help educate and inform loved ones about scams
• With 33% of Aussies admitting they don’t know where to go for official and trusted information on scams – this cohort is helping to stop scammers in their tracks
• More than any other generation, Millennials are the most likely to say people come to them for advice on scams, with 38% of this generation identifying as a Scambassador – someone family and friends turn to for scams advice
• Almost seven in ten (69%) Australians turn to Scambassadors because they trust them and know they won’t be judged by them

ING today celebrates a new group of legendary Australians – “Scambassadors” – who help educate and inform those we love about scams.

According to new research released by ING today, more than half (53%) of Aussies are relying on Scambassadors – people who educate and inform friends and family about scams, with almost seven in ten (69%) doing so as they trust them and want to avoid feeling judged.

With nearly half (46%) of Aussies admitting they’ve fallen for a scam and/or fraud and 49% believing they will fall for one at some stage in the future, it’s perhaps no surprise that Aussies[1] turn to these Scambassadors, as they view them to be tech savvy (45%) and able make good judgements (44%).

According to the findings, four in ten Aussies consider themselves a Scambassador, with Millennials making up the biggest proportion of this group (38%). Across all the generations, Millennials are the most confident and informed when it comes to scams, with 94% feeling confident in their ability to help loved ones identify and avoid scams.

Thanks to their confidence, awareness and overall tech savviness, 64% of Millennial Scambassadors feel a responsibility to protect their family and friends from falling victim to a scam, as 57% of all Aussies feel that scam prevention is a necessity in today’s digital first world.

Despite the prevalence of scams in Australia, however, 33% of Aussies agree that they don’t know where to go for trusted information and education on scams – so to support Australians and Scambassadors in staying up-to-date, ING has developed a pocket guide to scam prevention, encouraging everyone to stop, reflect and protect when it comes to scams.

Brett Dalkeith, Head of Fraud at ING Australia, comments on the report findings:

“With scams being so prevalent and with nearly half of Aussies falling for a scam at one point in their lives, having a trusted person to lean on and seek advice from is an important part about being scam safe.

“It’s great that we have this group of Australian legends that are helping inform and educate those around them about the latest scams. At ING, we believe anyone can be a Scambassador once empowered with the right resources and information. We encourage all Aussies – Scambassador or not – to stop, reflect and protect yourself from scams by staying up to date with the latest scams, and learn about the protocols to follow if you find yourself a victim. We also have resources to help customers avoid scams via the ING website security page and on the ING mobile app. The ACCC’s Scamwatch and ASIC’s Money Smart websites are also great resources for more information and tips to avoid scams.”

To access ING’s pocket guide to scam prevention, please head to the ING security page.

Notes to editors

• Research was undertaken online by YouGov between 5-7 February 2024 with a nationally representative sample of 1,063 Australians aged 18 years and older. The figures are representative of Australians aged 18 years and older. Following the completion of interviewing, the data was weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.
• Additional data:
  1. To stay informed on the latest scam and/or fraud trends, 54% of Aussies turn to friends and family more than any other resource, closely following traditional media (59%)
  2. Close to all (95%) Aussies also say if they were in a situation where they thought they were being scammed and were concerned about the potential for financial loss, they would want to immediately seek advice or assistance.

[1] Based on proportion of Aussies who have said they have someone they would turn to/have turned to for advice on scams

For more information contact: 

Cassandra Geselle

+61 475 944 393

cassandra.geselle@ing.com

About ING

ING changed the way Australians bank more than 25 years ago by launching the country’s first branchless bank. ING now offers Australians home loans, transactional banking, superannuation, credit cards, personal lending, insurance and wholesale banking services. ING is Australia’s most recommended bank according to RFI Global’s XPRT Survey, August 2023 – January 2024 (n = 31,846) when compared to customers of 20 other banks operating in Australia. It is also Australia’s fifth largest main financial institution (MFI) with 6% of market share according to RFI Global’s XPRT Survey, August 2023 – January 2024 (n = 31,846). MFI is defined as the bank that the consumer says is their main financial institution.