Telstra said customers report more SMS or MMS message scams on Thursday, more than any other day of the week.

Telstra is therefore dubbing this day, 29 February, as ScamBuster Thursday to encourage all Aussies to use the extra day in the calendar to leap action and report dodgy texts or emails.

Aussies lost more than $1.3 million a day to scams in 2023, according to Scamwatch.

Scamwatch also estimated that $476 million was lost due to scams in 2023.

In 2023, there were more reports of scams being sent via text than phone or email. Scamwatch reported that 109,624 scams were sent via text followed by 85,941 via email and 55,415 via phone in 2023.

While Telstra claimed that it has blocked 11 million SMS scams each month through its Cleaner Pipes Program, it acknowledged some still get through.

Telstra cybersecurity expert Darren Pauli urges the public to report the scams so Telstra can block and prevent them from reaching victims.

Pauli listed top reminders for reporting a scam:
- If you've got an iPhone, select "Report Junk" or "Report Spam" within the message.
For Android users or any Telstra customer, forward the message to 7226 (SCAM) then delete the message. Remember only send legitimate scams and no screenshots. Detailed instructions here on how to forward a message.
- Mark spam or report junk to help train your email service’s spam filter.
- Urgency is key – don’t wait until Thursday (even though we know you love to report on that day!).
- The minute you see a scam, report it. The faster we see it. The quicker we can act.
- Finally, remember to report a scam directly to the organisation, your telco and, if you can ScamWatch.