Buddha was born approximately 2567 years ago, and although the exact date is unknown, Buddha's official birthday is celebrated on the full moon in May in South Korea, which is on May 27 this year.

Australians are losing more money to scams than ever before as cybercriminals look to exploit vulnerable people.

In 2022, $3.1 billion was lost to scammers, up 80 per cent from the year before.

There are a few different ways you can report scams in Australia, including by going straight to one of the country's major phone and internet providers.

Here's a quick guide on what to do if you see – or fall victim – to a scam, as well as some tips for identifying them.

READ MORE: Aussies to get money back faster from scams under new bank platform

How to report scams in Australia

There are a few different bodies you can report a scam to in Australia, depending on whether you've fallen victim to the scheme or have just noticed it.

If you've just noticed a scam without falling victim to it, you can report it to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Scamwatch website.

The ACCC uses reports to monitor ongoing scam trends and can share the information provided to it with law enforcement.

Another option exists for Australians who use Telstra as their phone provider.

The telco giant has launched a new service, allowing customers who receive a scam text message to report it directly to them,

To report the scam directly to Telstra, customers should forward any text to the number 7226 (SCAM).

The telco won't reply, but it says reporting messages will help it block future scam texts.

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What should I do if I've been scammed?

If you've fallen victim to a scam, there are different ways to go about reporting it.

Scamwatch is still a good resource to report to, but the ACCC can't help you recover any money you've lost, nor will it help you track down a scammer.

It's important to report the scam to police, which can be done through the Australian government's ReportCyber program.

The program is a joint initiative between a range of state and federal bodies, including the AFP and all the state and territory police forces.

To report a scam, go to the ReportCyber website and follow the prompts.

The process should take about ten minutes.

You can also contact the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 292 371.

In addition to reporting the crime, you should also immediately contact your bank or financial institution if you fear you've fallen victim to a scam as, like the ACCC, police won't be able to recover any money you've lost.

Other things you should do if scammed include stopping talking or communicating with the scammer and noting down any information about the scam that could help authorities with an investigation.

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How to spot scams

With scammers continuously finding new and innovative ways to exploit Australians, it can be tricky to spot the latest cons doing the rounds.

However, there are some general principles that will help you spot a scam.

First up, never click on a suspicious link or hand out personal information to someone you think might be a scammer.

"Don't click on links, open any attachments or reply to requests," the Australian Cyber Security Sector (ACSC) says.

"Scam messages may try and trick you into giving out your personal information.

"A scammer might ask for your bank account details, passwords or credit card numbers.

"They may also ask you to download files, software, or allow remote access to your computer."

READ MORE: Big four banks failing to protect customers against scams, new report finds

It's worth staying familiar with the common types of scams, including dating and investment scams and phishing attempts through email and text.

Scamwatch publishes information about recent scam activity in Australia, while the ACSC also has a page outlining the types of schemes to be aware of.

As scammers will often try to impersonate people or institutions you trust, you should always go directly to those people if you're worried someone might be trying to scam you.

For example, if someone reaches out to you saying they're your son or daughter using a new number, you should always try contacting them using their old number or a different contact detail to see if they really have changed their number.

Similarly, if someone claiming to be from your bank contacts you, it's worth contacting the bank directly yourself using their main phone number on their official website.

"Check what the official source says about what details they might request from you," the ACSC says.

"Often companies or government agencies will say what they will and will not ask you online or over the phone.

"For example, the bank may tell you that they will never ask for your password.

"If someone claiming to be from the bank then asks you for your password, you know it is likely a scam."

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A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him.

Justice Timothy Fancourt said a trial in January will have to determine whether The Sun had carried out unlawful information gathering that included tapping his landline and bugging his car and breaking into his home.

News Group Newspapers (NGN), which owns The Sun, had argued that Grant didn't bring his claims within a six-year time limit.

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The judge dismissed Grant's phone hacking claims on time limitation grounds, but said the case could proceed on the other allegations.

"It was only on seeing invoices disclosed … in 2021 that Mr. Grant believed that private investigators (PIs) had been instructed by The Sun to target him in various ways, particularly in 2011," Fancourt wrote.

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The case was argued during a hearing last month that also included phone hacking allegations by Prince Harry against News Group, Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers.

Fancourt's ruling didn't address the Duke of Sussex's case because he wants to hear more about Harry's allegations that he was prevented from bringing his claims much sooner because of a "secret agreement" between Buckingham Palace and Murdoch's papers.

Harry alleged that the royal family had agreed to settle their cases with NGN, publisher of the defunct News of the World, out of court after related litigation died down. He said the deal called for an apology from the newspapers.

In court papers, Harry said that he only brought his lawsuit when efforts to expedite that settlement failed. He said his brother, Prince William, heir to the throne, subsequently received a "huge" settlement over phone hacking allegations against News Group.

NGN has denied there was a "secret agreement." The palace hasn't responded to messages seeking comment on that or William's alleged settlement.

A spokesperson for News Group issued a statement on Friday saying that it was pleased that the court threw out Grant's phone hacking allegations.

"NGN strongly denies the various historical allegations of unlawful information-gathering contained in what remains of Mr. Grant's claim," the statement said.

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Multi-award winning Australian songwriter and musician Joy McKean OAM has died at the age of 93.

McLean "passed away peacefully last night with family by her side after a long battle with cancer", EMI Recorded Music has announced in a statement.

"She will be remembered as a pioneer in Australian music," the statement reads.

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McKean wrote many of her husband Slim Dusty's most famous songs and won the first Golden Guitar award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the song 'Lights on the Hill'.

Her musical partnership with Slim, in which she was his manager, produced over 100 albums, sold over eight million albums and earned 45 Golden Guitars.

She has previously been described by Paul Kelly as "one of our greatest songwriters", while Troy Cassar-Daley called her "a national treasure".

McKean is survived by her children Anne Kirkpatrick and David Kirkpatrick, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

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The students ran to safety as the car swerved and jumped the footpath.

‘You are a sexual predator who uses whatever means available to get whatever you wanted.’

Bombshell allegations of rorting on some of Victoria's biggest transport projects have emerged, with claims subcontractors have been over-billing for work.

Reports by the Herald Sun have claimed insiders have blown the whistle on "ghost shifts", where where subcontractors invoice multiple times for shifts done at the same time by one person.

While speaking at Ballarat this morning, Premier Daniel Andrews said he only became aware of the allegations this morning.

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"This is, I think, an isolated incident," he said.

"There will be a proper account for what's gone on there."

9News understand the Rail Safety Regulator became aware of the allegations weeks ago.

READ MORE: Aussie arrested in Indonesia could be set free after $25,000 offering

It's now investigating "allegations relating to fraudulent practices by labour hire companies contracted to major projects and railway operations in Melbourne", but focusing only on "safety matters".

The Major Transport Infrastructure Authority has said it is taking the claims "seriously and any criminal wrongdoing will be referred to police or relevant anti-corruption agencies".

Victorian deputy opposition leader David Southwick has said his party will be requesting police investigate these allegations.

Police have said they have "no formal reports of criminal conduct" and "cannot launch an investigation" until they do.

Andrews told media he "would caution against calling into question the integrity of thousands and thousands of workers" because of the allegations.

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Firefighters pulling the car out of shopfront.

The crash happened about 6pm, between Wests and Ure Rds near Ward.

The police officer almost killed while trying to intercept an allegedly stolen truck has woken from a coma and thanked the public as Queensland's police commissioner visited him in hospital.

Detective Senior Constable Steve Ingerson was awake and talking today, two days after slipping into a coma.

Ingerson was seriously injured when he was pinned between a stolen truck and a police car north of Toowoomba.

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"I wish to say a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Meringandan Produce and other members of the public who came to our aid at the scene on Wednesday afternoon," Ingerson said in a statement.

"And to the medical staff at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, who have been above amazing.

"I want to particularly thank my police mates for their visits and messages of support.

"I am grateful to have received so many well wishes from people across the community, it's been quite humbling."

LifeFlight airlifted Ingerson to Princess Alexandra Hospital after he was given a blood transfusion at the scene.

He fell into a coma on Wednesday and woke up on Thursday. He is expected to leave the hospital tonight.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll was one of the first to speak to Ingerson when he woke up.

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"In the beginning, we definitely thought the worst, because it was pretty dire," she said.

"People who know Ingo would agree with me, he's such a wonderful human being, he's fun, he's funny and has an amazing family."

The 45-year-old man accused of hitting Ingerson with a stolen truck has been charged with attempted murder.

Police officers told 9News that the trauma of the incident left them fearing for the worst, immediately reminding them of the fatal shooting of two police officers and a member of the public in Wieambilla last year.

"We will never recover from Wieambilla, it will be etched in our hearts and minds forever."