The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched a new Scamwatch Web site after kits research showed Australians have lost more than $45 million to scams already this year.
It also fielded 45,000 complains made about scammers, who ACMA acting chair Delia Rickard said are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to get victims’ money or personal details.
“For the first time, the ACCC has published data on common scams that are causing the most harm in Australia, which will be updated every month on Scamwatch. This tool will help you keep one step ahead of the scammers,” Rickard said.
“Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels across Australia. There’s no one group of people who are more likely to become a victim of a scam and all of us may be vulnerable to a scam at some time.”
ACCC said a total of 45,743 scams had been reported by June 30, with dating and romance and investment scheme scams (at around $10 million and $9.1 million, respectively) accounting for the majority of money lost. Phone (45.1 per cent) and e-mail (33.1 per cent) were the most common delivery methods for scammers.
