AFP acted quickly on the allegations to protect Australians from identity fraud A Sydney man has been sentenced to an 18-month Community Correction Order, 100 hours of community service and conviction recorded by the Sydney Downing Centre District Court today (7 February 2023) for attempting to blackmail Optus customers whose…
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ACCC warning of suspicious messages
More than 1,150 Australians fell victim to the so-called “Hi Mum” scam in the first seven months Scamwatch is urging the public to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in “Hi Mum” scams in recent months. More…
Read MorePayment redirection scams cost Australian businesses
Scams cost Australian businesses $US227 million last year Australian businesses lost $227 million to payment redirection scams in 2021, a 77 per cent increase compared to 2020, the ACCC’s latest Targeting Scams report reveals. The report compiles data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, major banks and money remitters, and other government agencies. It shows…
Read MoreTech support scams remain a threat globally and in Asia Pacific
Despite drop in encounters. Although there has been an overall fall in scam encounters – three out of five consumers (59 per cent) were found to have been targeted by a tech support scammer in the last 12 months, a drop from 64 per cent in 2018. One out of…
Read MoreComputer takeover scams on the rise
Scammers pretend to be from banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support. During 2021 scammers stole more than A$7.2 million from Australians by gaining access to home computers, an increase of 184 per cent compared to the same period last year. According to the Australian Consumer Competition Commission’s…
Read MoreAustralians lose record A$851 million to scams
Scammers capitalise on pandemic. Australians lost over A$851 million to scams in 2020, a record amount, as scammers took advantage of the pandemic to con unsuspecting people, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) latest Targeting Scams report. The report compiles data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, other government agencies…
Read MorePayment redirection scams cost Australian businesses
Combined losses reported totaled A$128 million in 2020. Payment redirection scams were the most financially damaging scams for Australian businesses in 2020 according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) latest Targeting Scams report. Combined losses reported to Scamwatch, other government agencies, banks and payment platforms totaled A$128 million…
Read MoreScammers stole close to A$34M from minortities and Indigenous Australians
The CALD community represented a 60 per cent increase compared to 2019, across 11,700 reports. In Australia culturally and linguistically diverse community lose $22 million to scams in 2020, reports from Indigenous Australians up by 25 per cent, reports the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). “Last year we saw…
Read MoreSingapore saw an 80 per cent increase in scams during 2020
Total amount cheated was S$254.3 million, which is a 64.3 per cent increase compared to 2019 In a reply to Parliamentary Question on how the police tracks its performance in investigating and solving crimes involving online scams, K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law stated police have…
Read MoreGovernment impersonation scams on the rise
ACCC issues warning over rise in fake Australian Government impersonation. Australians are being urged to watch out for government impersonation scams with over AU$1.26 million lost from more than 7100 reports made to Scamwatch so far this year and in reality, losses are likely to be far greater. There has…
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