Identity theft crimes are on the rise across the nation. Your personal identifying information can be accessed
in a variety of ways. An imposter can misuse your information to open fradulent credit card accounts, secure
deposits on cars and housing, obtain employment opportunities, create insurance benefits, and rob retirement
earnings. This form of financial sabotage can devastate your credit, and require endless hours of telephone and
written communication to resolve. In the meantime, you may experience difficulty writing checks, renting apartments,
and securing employment. While following these precautionary steps is not a guarantee of protection, it
will greatly reduce your chances of becoming the next identitiy theft victim.

This guide is intended as a desk reference to provide a basic introduction to the cyber crime that state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments encounter. The information in this report is provided to further the reader’s understanding of reports issued by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) relating to cyber threats and attacks, and raise the reader’s awareness of the malicious actors, motivations, malware, and fraud schemes. The information in this guide is divided into cyber crime categories and sorted alphabetically within those categories. For the purposes of this guide the terms ‘actor’ and ‘hacker’ are used interchangeably.

We are pleased to bring you a new edition of The little black book of scams. We hope this book will increase your awareness of the vast array of scams that target Australians and teach you some easy steps you can take to protect yourself.
Scams do not discriminate
Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels. Fake lotteries, advance-fee frauds, get-rich-quick schemes and miracle health cures are some of the favoured means of separating the unwary from their money. New varieties of these scams appear all the time.