News & alerts

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 are losing more money to NBN scams, with reported losses in 2019 already higher than the total of last year’s losses.

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 warning travellers to watch out for scam emails with fake flight itineraries attached – these attachments may harbour malicious software.

SCAMwatch is warning people to beware of online scams – surveys, emails and social-media posts – offering fake gift vouchers or other bogus inducements in return for disclosing credit card and other personal information.

Joint action between three international regulators has thwarted a massive global phone scam, with US authorities winning court orders to close down and freeze funds of imposters posing as Microsoft employees offering to fix PC viruses.

SCAMwatch and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) are urging consumers and small businesses to be aware of scam calls or emails around tax time.

SCAMwatch is warning consumers and businesses to be on the look out for carbon price scams, particularly calls asking for personal information in order to receive compensation.

SCAMwatch is continuing to warn Australians to beware of scams delivered by phone with the ACCC receiving over 43,000 reports of scams perpetrated this way in 2011.

SCAMwatch and South Australian Government Consumer and Business Services(CBS) are warning people throughout the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands to beware of scam distress emails targeting the area.