Scams reported to the ACCC involving identity theft or the loss of personal/banking information have cost Australians at least $16 million this year, and this figure is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg.
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.
SCAMwatch is once again warning members of the community, particularly the Chinese community, to take note of family or friends who say they have unexpectedly won a lot of money from someone who has called them from Hong Kong.
SCAMwatch is warning consumers about a telemarketing survey which focuses on casinos in various Australian cities, including Canberra. This appears to be the first step in a new scam that has been targeting Australian consumers to convince them to provide money and personal information to scammers.
