A conversation could be one of Australia’s strongest scam defences, new CBA research says

New research from CommBank’s Behavioural Science Centre of Excellence has found that Australians often default to trying to deal with scams independently rather than checking with someone they trust like a family member or colleague – both at home and work.

CommBank’s latest campaign with actor and comedian Jimmy Rees, encourages Aussies to have a conversation to help stop scams.

Jimmy was nearly scammed when he was selling his car, but after a chat with his dad, realised the ‘buyer’ was likely trying to scam him.

“I was nearly scammed, but a simple conversation helped stop the scammer in their tracks. So don’t be shy and talk to those closest to you when something feels off. Talking about it can help protect others too,” Jimmy said.

Talking to a colleague can help prevent a scam

Nearly three in four employees (72 per cent)¹ who were scammed said they did not discuss the situation with a colleague before realising it was a scam.

Meanwhile, more than six in ten business owners (63 per cent) said there are barriers to talking to customers or others about scams, including concerns about alarming customers and suppliers, limited time and believing it isn’t their role.

CommBank’s Executive General Manager, Fraud and Scams, James Roberts, said scammers increasingly rely on people making decisions in isolation.

“One of the biggest myths about scams is that people fall victim because they don’t know enough. What we’re seeing is something much more human – when something unexpected happens, many of us believe we can work it out ourselves.”

“When you don’t pause to sense-check with someone you know and trust, you are more likely to overlook any signs, even if you have already spotted them. This is because scammers use tactics like urgency, pressure and familiarity to influence your decision making.

Mr Roberts said creating a habit of checking with someone else like a family member or colleague should become as routine as checking a payment amount before transferring money.

CommBank Behavioural Scientist Caitlin Court said the findings highlight a well-known behavioural tendency: people often rely too heavily on their own judgement.

Ms Court said talking about near misses represents one of Australia’s most underused scam prevention tools.

“Near misses are one of our most underused sources of scam prevention. Every suspicious text you delete, fake invoice you question or phone call you hang up on is a learning opportunity. Sharing those experiences can help someone else recognise the same tactic so they can help protect themselves,” she said.

Mr Roberts added, “The strongest defence isn’t being the smartest person in the room. It’s creating families, workplaces and communities where people feel comfortable asking, ‘Does this look right to you?'”

For support when talking to others, including video content and a downloadable conversation guide, visit commbank.com.au/talk-scams .

¹ Based on findings from two nationally representative studies conducted in January and April 2026, involving a combined sample of 6,221 Australians.

Research highlights

Consumer behaviours

• The main reasons scam victims didn’t talk to someone about the scam were that they felt embarrassed (34%), they didn’t think it was necessary (33%), and they felt they could handle it personally (31%).
• Of 395 participants, more than 8 in 10 think it is worthwhile to talk to a loved one about being scammed.

Business behaviours

• Of 203 employees surveyed, nearly three in four (72%) who were scammed did not discuss the situation with a colleague before responding.
• Six in ten business owners (total of 101 business owners, equating to 63% of those surveyed) report barriers to talking to others about scams.
• Among the 305 employees who experienced a scam near miss, discussing it with colleagues and workplace education was a key factor in avoiding the scam.

About the research

Research was conducted by CommBank’s Behavioural Science Centre of Excellence across two studies in January and April 2026 involving 6,221 participants, including 2,349 Australian employees, managers and business owners.

The research combined nationally representative surveys with behavioural experiments to examine how Australians identify and respond to scams, including the factors that influence decision-making in the moment and what encourages or discourages people from discussing scam attempts with others.