Scammers are increasingly using fake charities or impersonating real charities to take advantage of people’s generosity and compassion, with losses reported to the ACCC’s Scamwatch increasing steadily over the past four years.
The ACCC is warning people to be careful about who they ‘friend’ online this Valentine’s Day with stats showing people are most likely to be preyed upon by dating and romance scammers on social media sites.
Scamwatch is urging all Australians who lost money to a scammer through Western Union from 2004 to 2017 to take action by the extended deadline of 31 May to try to get it back.
SCAMwatch and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) are reminding people to beware of scammers pretending to represent a charity or not-for-profit organisation.
The operators behind a scam targeting small businesses with false claims about advertising services for publications with a philanthropic slant have been ordered to pay $750,000 in penalties following court action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
SCAMwatch is urging consumers considering donating to help those affected by the summer bushfires to make sure that their money goes to a legitimate charity, cause or appeal.
