The Digital Underworld
Behind a single suspicious text, unexpected password reset request, or unfamiliar bank alert can sit an entire criminal ecosystem working quietly in the background to impersonate you.
Hacked: The Digital Underworld is a new Crime Stoppers Victoria and BankVic video series that pulls back the curtain on identity takeover and cybercrime, guided by the real investigators who see it unfold every day.
Between 1 January and 1 December 2025, Victorian victims of identity theft scams made 2,415 reports through ReportCyber, the national reporting portal for cyber-facilitated crime. During this period, victims reported over $9.1 million in scam-related payments, alongside more than $41.5 million in additional financial losses connected to these types of offences.
Across three powerful acts, this brand-new series takes viewers from the first invisible warning signs through to the hidden networks exploiting stolen data, and finally, the practical steps you can take to fight back.
If you’ve ever wondered how quickly digital crime can escalate, or what you should do the moment something feels off, this is a series you won’t want to miss.
Victoria Police Cybercrime Squad Detective Sergeant John Cheyne explains the earliest warning signs of compromise, the moments people often dismiss, and why the first few hours after a hack can shape everything that follows.
Would you recognise the signs in time?
Part two explains how information is shared between offenders, how identities are used to commit further crimes, and why many victims do not realise what is happening until much later.
How far could your identity travel without you knowing?
Victoria Police Cybercrime Squad Detective Sergeant John Cheyne explains the earliest warning signs of compromise, the moments people often dismiss, and why the first few hours after a hack can shape everything that follows.
Would you recognise the signs in time?
Let's Keep Victoria Safe Together.
We’ve partnered with BankVic to help keep our community safe from scams and criminal activity while online! Stay up to date with the latest tips and information in one convenient place, empowering you to prevent online crime and outsmart scammers. Together, we can create a safer internet for everyone!
If you have information about a crime or suspicious activity, you can report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers online reporting platform or call 1800 333 000.