News and alerts

…Watch out for NBN scams … are increasingly using trusted government brands like NBN to trick people into falling for scams … Rickard said. The three common scams reported to Scamwatch that involve scammers impersonating NBN are…

…Beware high risk, no reward investment scams … to investment scams to the ACCC’s Scamwatch website, making it the most profitable of all the current scams. It is likely that losses are much higher as many victims do not report scams or contact other … investment scams and lose significantly more money than women. People aged 45 to 64 most commonly fall victim…

…Scams targeting Indigenous peoples nearly doubled in 2016 … News Scams targeting Indigenous peoples were at the highest level ever recorded according to the ACCC’s annual Targeting Scams report. Scams targeting Indigenous peoples were at the highest level ever recorded according to the ACCC’s annual Targeting Scams report. In 2016, the ACCC received 1499 reports…

…Information about scams is now available in 12 languages … News The ACCC recently translated some useful information about scams in 12 languages other … and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently translated some useful information about scams in 12 languages…

…Spot social media scams: National Consumer Fraud Week 2017 … Australians to help them ‘spot social media scams’. []During this year’s National Consumer Fraud Week (15 - 19 May), Scamwatch is providing advice to Australians to help them ‘spot social media scams’. Increasing numbers of Australians are encountering—and losing money to—scams on social media. If you use social media … Dating and romance scams…

…Australians lost nearly $300 million to scams in 2016 … according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s annual Targeting Scams report, with a 47 … Commission’s annual Targeting Scams report , with a 47 per cent increase in scam reports to the ACCC compared…

…Businesses lost an average of $10,000 to scams in 2016 … News Nearly 6000 businesses reported being targeted by scams in 2016 according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Targeting Scams report, with losses totalling around $3.8 million, an increase of almost 31 per cent. Nearly 6000 businesses reported being targeted by scams in 2016 according … – these scams trick a victim into downloading a virus that infects computer systems and prevents user access until payment is made to unlock it. In 2016, reports indicate that there was an increase in ransomware emails to businesses, purportedly from legitimate companies such as Australia Post or a utility…

…News Punters are being warned to watch out for betting and sports investment scams which falsely … investment scams which falsely promise high odds and big returns on Cup Day. Already this year Scamwatch has received 184 reports of betting and sports investment scams, with nearly $1.6 million lost and men…

… a present from someone through the post.” Watch out for three common holiday season scams: Travel scams … 1750 reports. Online shopping scams: scammers will set up believable looking online stores to trick … months, with more than 6440 reports. Parcel delivery scams: with millions of packages moving across the…

… computer. Known as remote access scams, these pop-up windows are used as a ploy to get unsuspecting victims … money back.” Ms Rickard also urged consumers to read the ACCC’s Little Black Book of Scams publication. “A person’s best protection against scams is awareness and education. The Little Black Book of Scams contains…