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.
Australians who are older, Indigenous or have disability reported record losses in 2018 according to the ACCC’s annual Targeting Scams report released this week.
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 urging tech-savvy daters to be on the lookout for romance scammers this Valentine’s Day as data shows these scams are increasingly happening through social media and dating apps.
Scamwatch has received a report from the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) that remote access scammers are calling pretending to be the ACORN.
The ACCC is warning the public to be alert to scams offering fake gift cards or vouchers in return for disclosing credit card and other personal information.
SCAMwatch is warning Australian consumers to beware of a fake website pretending to be the official Australia Government Department of Climate Change website.
SCAMwatch is warning Australians to be wary of websites that appear official but fail to deliver on promises to provide birth, death, marriage or divorce certificates in return for a fee.