14 DAY TRIAL // According to the latest “Targeting scams” report published by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), last year, Australians lost over 93 million AUD (66 million EUR / 88 million USD) to scammers.
The ACCC reports that the number of online shopping scams increased by 65% in 2012.
While it might seem that online scams are the most prevalent, the commission reveals that only 35% of scams involve the Internet. Over half of the scams spotted last year relied on voice and text messages.
“However, reports of financial losses to the ACCC are just the tip of the iceberg as victims of scams are often too embarrassed to report their experience,” noted ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard.
“Scammers continue to find sophisticated methods to deliver scams, taking advantage of new technologies and communication methods to try and slip under your radar,” she added.
“Nowadays it can take just the click of a button to fall victim to a scam, so it is more important than ever that we practice safe techniques when communicating with others—whether online, on the phone, at one’s business or even at home.”
The study is part of the “Outsmart the scammers!” campaign and its release marks the beginning of the National Consumer Fraud Week 2013.
Rickard warns Australian consumers to be on the lookout for online shopping scams since they’ve become increasingly sophisticated.
“These scams are increasingly sophisticated, with scammers going to great lengths to convince their targets that they are who they claim to be, copying corporate logos, producing counterfeit and official looking documents, and even creating fake mirror websites with a slightly different web address,” she said.
The complete “Targeting scams” report is available here.