News
Consumer Action Law Centre says a report released today from the National Anti-Scam Centre, Targeting scams, reveals a welcome fall in the value of reported scams losses for 2024 (down by 25.9% to $2.03 billion). Still, the huge sum lost by nearly half a million victims, in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, is deeply concerning. “While…
Read More Scam losses fall, but the cost is still too high
SCAM ALERT
This is a joint media release between the AFP, National Anti-Scam Centre, Philippines Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and National Bureau of Investigation Editor’s note: Text message screenshot, images from investigation, and audio grabs from AFP Commander Graeme Marshall are available via Hightail Authorities have texted more than 5000 potential victims in Australia to warn they may…
Read More Joint media release from Australian and Philippines authorities as over 5,000 Australians receive text warnings over a romance scam
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Important advice about how people in Australia can protect themselves from scams is now available online in an additional 17 languages other than English on the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Scamwatch website. The new in-language videos and updated written advice on how to spot and avoid scams will make Scamwatch an even more useful resource for culturally and linguistically…
Read More National Anti-Scam Centre Launches Online Scamwatch Advice in 17 Languages
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Scam Awareness Week 26-30 August
#ShareAScamStory
This Scams Awareness Week (26 to 30 August) the National Anti-Scam Centre is encouraging Australians to speak up, share their experiences with others and to report scams to Scamwatch. “We all have a part to play in shutting down criminal scammers. By talking to each other, we can make sure no one is alone in the fight…
Read More Scam Awareness Week: Share a Story, Stop a Scam
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The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) received a record number of complaints in 2023-24 after disputes to the ombudsman service increased 9 per cent to more than 105,000 for the year. Complaints about scams, online and personal transaction accounts, credit cards, and personal loans all saw significant increases. Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin…
Read More Advocates Continue Call for Reimbursement Policy as Scam Complaints to AFCA go ‘off the charts’
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The National Anti-Scam Centre will coordinate a jobs and employment scam fusion cell to disrupt criminal groups advertising or offering jobs which do not exist. Job and employment scams are targeted to steal money and personal information. Scammers often impersonate legitimate businesses or well-known recruitment agencies. They use a variety of methods to advertise non-existent…
Read More Job and Employment Scams a New Focus of the National Anti-Scam Centre
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Today the Albanese Government will join a cutting?edge intel exchange between Australian banks, telecommunications companies, digital platforms, and the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX). The National Anti Scam Centre will join the AFCX intel loop, which enables near real time data sharing between participants about the latest tactics and tools used by scammers. The partnership…
Read More Government Joins Cutting Edge Anti-Scam Intel Exchange
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Consumers are being warned to beware of anyone instructing them to download software or an app over the phone, following a recent rise in reported losses to remote access scams. Australians reported losing $15.5 million to remote access scams in 2023. Reported losses to remote access scams in the first quarter of 2024 increased by…
Read More Scammers Claiming to Fix Technical Issues in ‘Remote Access Scams’
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The industry codes will start with banks, telcos, social media, digital messaging and search advertising services, and will require these groups to have measures in place to prevent, detect, disrupt, respond and report scams.
This will be complemented by strong regulator enforcement action, penalties for non?compliance, and victim compensation where wrongdoing occurs.
Read More Albanese Government to Introduce Mandatory Anti-Scam Industry Codes
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The National Anti-Scam Centre’s collaborative efforts across government, law enforcement, consumer organisations and industry have boosted the community’s fight against financial crime, as the latest Targeting Scams report reveals a 13.1 per cent decline in reported losses to $2.74 billion in 2023. The report compiles data reported to Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange (AFCX), IDCARE…
Read More Scam Losses Fall But A Long Road Ahead
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Australians are being urged to check payment details directly with a business before paying an emailed invoice, following a rise in losses to payment redirection scams. Last year, Australians reported losing $16.2 million to payment redirection scams. Despite the total number of reports to Scamwatch decreasing by 28 per cent, the total amount lost increased…
Read More ACCC Warns Consumers of Fake Business Invoice Scams
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Original media release by and from CHOICE (13/03/2024). Big tech responsible for big losses: 249% increase in social media scam losses since 2020 CHOICE calls for strong rules to force digital platforms to rein in scams Consumer group CHOICE is demanding urgent government action to force digital platforms to prevent scam losses, after the National…
Read More Digital Platforms Need to Take Responsibility, CHOICE Urges Government Action
