The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has stepped up its campaign against online scammers, launching the next phase of its ‘action plan to combat scams’.
According to ACMA, the plan includes a suite of new resources designed to help Australians protect themselves on their home or mobile phones.
Chair of the Scam Taskforce at ACMA, Fiona Cameron said scammers were using the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of Australians.
“The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) Scamwatch has received more than 3,000 scam reports mentioning the Coronavirus — with over $1.3 million in reported losses since the pandemic began,” Ms Cameron said.
“Phone scammers are sophisticated, and they target everyone, so Australians need to know what to look out for.”
She said the scammers impersonated Government and other trusted brands to trick people into giving personal and financial details.
“These new resources provide people with simple tools to help them spot — and stop — scams,” Ms Cameron said.
“If you’ve been scammed, don’t be embarrassed — get help immediately by telling your bank and your phone company.”
She said the ACCC’s recent Targeting Scams report found Australians lost more than $634 million to scams in 2019, a 30 per cent increase on the previous year.
“Phone calls remain the preferred contact method of scammers with over 58 per cent of Scamwatch reports in 2019 concerned contact via call or text,” Ms Cameron said.
She urged people to visit the ACMA website to access the resources and information that included posters translated into different languages, social media graphics and animations, to build community awareness.
ACMA’s advice and resources for countering scams can be accessed at this PS News link.
