Seven months in and Australians have lost over $45 million to scams.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reports that 45,743 complaints regarding scams have been received this year and an overall loss of $45,902,666 has been registered.
$10,099,323 was lost due to scams focusing on dating and romance, $9,185,984 to investment schemes, $3,599,558 to inheritance scams, $2,383,064 to scams relating to Nigeria, and $1,307,016 to betting & sports investment schemes.
45.1 per cent of scams were delivered via telephone, while 33.1 per cent of scammers targeted their victims via email. Other internet methods accounted for 8 per cent and regular mail came in with 5.3 per cent.
The ACCC is calling for Aussies to not share their personal details with strangers and to hold back from sending money to those they do not completely know. The independent Commonwealth statutory authority today unveiled a new and improved Scamwatch website, which will feature the latest news and tips to avoid being scammed.
“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,” ACCC Acting Chair Delia 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.”
The new Scamwatch website can be visited HERE.
