Offline or in-person fraud and scams

In-person fraud and scams happen when scammers contact you face to face or by phone.

They trick you into giving them money or personal information which they can use to commit fraud.

Key crime prevention tips

There are things you can do to keep yourself safe from in-person scams and fraud.

know how to spot a scam
check the facts
be cautious with direct contact
protect yourself.

About offline or in-person scams and fraud

The most common fraud and scams involve defrauding people of money. Fraudsters will lie to you to take financial or other advantage.
In-person scams and fraud target both individuals and organisations.

The scammers can knock on your door or approach you in public.

They will lie to you to get your money or personal information by asking you for:

upfront payments for a false product or service
donations
personal details in a 'survey'.

Common types of in-person or offline fraud and scams

Recognising different types of fraud and scam can help you protect yourself and your money.

Most common types of in-person or offline fraud and scams include:

In-person identity theft

Scammers will steal your identity to open bank, phone and financial accounts in your name or to access your existing accounts. They might also try to get a loan in your name.

Someone can steal your identity both in person and online. It can happen both to an individual or a business.

In-person identity theft can happen when someone:
- steals your wallet or purse with all your identifying cards
- breaks into your home or place of business and steals your identifying or sensitive documents
- steals important documents from your letterbox
- diverts your mail to another address without your knowledge
- searches through your recycling rubbish bin.
Scammers will try to get hold of any of your identifying or sensitive documents, such as:
- bank statements
- drivers licence
- credit cards
- utility bills
- tax return.
There are steps you can take to keep your identity safe and lower the risk of theft:
- try to share a minimum amount of information about yourself
- don’t share personal information over the phone or by email to people you do not know or trust
- don’t carry extra personal information on you unless you have to
- remove your name from mailing lists if you receive unsolicited mail.
Protect documents that can identify you:
- secure your personal or sensitive information at home or office
- secure your mail with a lockable letterbox and only post mail at official post boxes
- destroy identifying information when throwing out personal or business documents including 'pre-approved credit card applications'
- don’t leave anything in your car glove box that could identify you
- keep your wallet/purse secure at the gym, parties, in shopping trolleys, etc
- don’t lend your personal documents to others
- don’t send original proof of identity documents in the mail.
Keep an eye on your finances:
- regularly check/reconcile your bank and credit card accounts
- limit the amount of credit you have in your 'everyday' accounts
- get a copy of your credit rating report regularly
- collect new credit cards in person from the bank
- don’t let your credit card out of your sight when paying a bill
- write cheques and fill out forms carefully so that they cannot be altered easily
- keep a list of all your accounts and credit cards in a secure place.
Password-protect all your important accounts. Make sure that you:
- memorise your passwords
- avoid using obvious passwords
- use different passwords for different accounts.
To find out about what to do if your identity has been stolen and how to report it, visit Online identity theft.

Credit card fraud

Credit card fraud is a common type of fraud that can happen both in person and online.

To learn how to recognise credit card fraud, how to protect your credit cards and how to report it visit Credit card fraud.

Investment fraud

Investment fraudsters trick people to invest their money into false opportunities. Find out more about how to recognise investment fraud and what to do if you have been defrauded of your money at Investment scams.

For latest information and advice about current scams visit Scamwatch.

Advice to protect yourself from offline or in-person fraud and scams

There are steps you can take to keep yourself safe from in-person or offline fraud and scams.

Know how to spot a scam

If it sounds too good to be true, it is probably a scam. The false offer will often:

be unexpected
ask for personal information
sound too good to be true
promise or offer a larger financial return
push you to act quickly.

Check the facts

When offered products and services, always check that the person is who they say they are. Ask for their credentials and do further research on the company offering you the service.

Be cautious with direct contact

It is always advised not to respond to unsolicited offers and deals. If you do, make sure that you:

Do not respond to requests for your personal information.
Do not give out personal information on incoming calls. Instead, call the company back using a publicly available number.
Never give your bank details or send money to claim a prize.

If you have been affected by an offline or in-person fraud or scam

You should report an offline or in-person fraud or scam to Scamwatch, as well as the relevant authority.

A solicitor can help if you have lost money as a result of fraud or scam. They can pursue your case as a civil matter to try and recover your funds.

Reporting in-person or offline fraud and scams to police

You should contact and report your experience to Victoria Police if you think a criminal offence occurred as a part of the scam or fraud.

To make a police report, please read and complete the Victoria Police Fraud Report Form before getting in touch.

You will need to gather the following information:

We will need some personal details to get in touch with you. You will need to include:
- your name
- date of birth
- age
- address
- phone number
- email
- employment details.
Describe events in chronological order as a basis of your complaint. This can include:
- times
- dates
- places
- any conversations or interactions with the suspect in your complaint.
If you suspect a particular individual/s, give details such as:
- date of birth
- age
- address
- phone number
- email
- vehicle registration number
- employment details
If there are any witnesses to what happened, provide us with as many details as possible, such as:
- their name
- their address
- their contact details - phone number or email address
- a brief summary of why this person is a witness.
Provide copies (copies only) of documents or exhibits to support your complaint. These can include:
- banking records
- business records
- receipts
- contracts, invoices
- internet content
- phone records
- audit reports.
Please handle any original exhibits with clean surgical or fabric gloves and with care, to keep any forensic evidence. Ensure each exhibit is stored in separate bags.

Corporate or business complaints

If you are a business, organisation or a corporation, you can report fraud or scam to ReportCyber.

More complex cases of business fraud may be investigated by Victoria Police. To report a complex case of business fraud, read and complete the Victoria Police Fraud Report Form before getting in touch.

Report in-person or offline fraud and scams to the right authority

To report other common types of fraud, contact the appropriate investigative authority:

Fraud or scam type	Report fraud or scam to
Bank related fraud inc. credit cards, loans, electronic funds transfers, cheque, ATM and mortgages	relevant bank or financial institution ReportCyber
Investment or share trading fraud	Australian Security and Investment Commission(opens in a new window) or call 1300 300 630(opens in a new window) Scamwatch ReportCyber
Lawyer fraud (barrister and solicitor)	Legal Services Board(opens in a new window)
Accountant fraud	Local police station(opens in a new window)
Real estate agency fraud	Consumer Affairs Victoria(opens in a new window)
Superannuation fraud	Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority(opens in a new window) (APRA)
Telecommunication fraud	relevant service provider
Employee fraud	Local police station(opens in a new window)
Work cover fraud	WorkSafe Victoria(opens in a new window)
Local scams (door to door scams)	Consumer Affairs of Victoria(opens in a new window) 1300 558 181(opens in a new window)
Foreign bribery (offering or providing an unlawful benefit to a foreign public official)	Australian Federal Police(opens in a new window)

Cybercrime, fraud, scams and online safety

Learn about, prevent and report cybercrime, online abuse, offline or in-person scams and fraud.

Crime

Updated 31 October 2024

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