News and alerts

…Australian businesses hit hard by email scams … News Australian businesses reported more than 5800 scams with losses exceeding $7.2 million in 2018, a 53 per cent increase compared to 2017, according to the ACCC’s Targeting scams report. Australian businesses reported more than 5800 scams with losses exceeding $7.2 million in 2018, a 53 per cent increase…

…Scam alert: Fake celebrity online investment scams … News Scammers are creating lifelike impersonations (or 'deepfakes') of celebrities and public figures, who appear to be promoting 'quantum' or 'AI' online trading platforms. The people involved have not created these ads, the trading platforms are scams and you lose any money you 'invest'. … platform called 'Immediate Edge' and encourages others to do the same. The article is a scam article. Scammers create ads and fake news articles to get you to believe the celebrities actually use these scam…

…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…

…Scams Awareness Week 2022 … News Scams Awareness Week 2022 takes place 7-11 November. This Scams Awareness Week we’re encouraging you to learn ways to identify scams and take the time to check whether an offer or contact is genuine before you act on it. Scams awareness week 2022 banner Banner saying 'How to spot a scam. Scams … The Scamwatch and ACCC websites contain a range of tools and resources about scams. Scamwatch report form : If you’ve come across a scam you can report it here. Scamwatch reporting statistics : Provides up-to-date statistics on scams reported by Australians. Targeting Scams Reports : Our yearly…

…Optus data breach scams … News Scamwatch is urgently warning Australians to be on the lookout for increased scam activity following the recent Optus data breach and to take steps to protect themselves.…

…Scams Awareness Week 2021 … News Scams Awareness Week 2021 takes place 8-12 November. This Scams Awareness Week we’re encouraging everyone to start a conversation about scams. Stop scams. Speak up. Banner saying "The more we talk about scams, the less power they have." Stop scams. Speak up. Scams Awareness Week 2021 takes … Staying silent gives scammers more power. Let’s speak up and stop scams!…

…Customers warned to watch out for scams following Optus data breach … News Scamwatch is warning Optus customers to be on the look out for scams and take steps to secure their personal information following a cyber-attack. … : See our Optus data breach scams page for more information about the breach and how to protect yourself. Scamwatch is warning Optus customers to be on the look out for scams and take steps to secure…

…Scams robbed Australians of more than $2 billion last year … News Australians lost a record amount to scams in 2021, despite government, law enforcement, and the private sector disrupting more scam activity than ever before. Australians lost a record amount of more than $2 billion to scams in 2021, despite government, law enforcement, and the private sector … The ACCC-run Scamwatch aims to raise awareness about how to recognise, avoid and report scams. It also shares intelligence and works with government, law enforcement and the private sector to disrupt and prevent scams. Reference to combined reports or losses include data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, other…

…Payment redirection scams cost Australian businesses $227 million last year … News Australian businesses lost $227 million to payment redirection scams in 2021, a 77 per cent increase compared to 2020, the ACCC’s latest Targeting Scams report reveals. Australian businesses lost $227 million to payment redirection scams in 2021, a 77 per cent increase compared to 2020, the ACCC’s … Top 5 scams by losses as reported by businesses in 2021 (Scamwatch data only)…

…Missed delivery, call or voicemail (Flubot) scams … News Since August 2021, many Australians have been getting scam text messages about tracking … of these messages, do not click or tap on the link. Since August 2021, many Australians have been getting scam text messages about missed calls, voicemails or deliveries. We’ve received over 16,000 reports of these scams…