27 September 2023

Information Commissioner scans scam week

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The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has joined into Scams Awareness Week this week, highlighting the dangers of identity theft and the importance of protecting personal information.

The OAIC used the week to share tips to avoid phishing scams and protect privacy online.

In a statement the OAIC said this was necessary because research revealed that last year Australians made more than 167,000 scam reports to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch website and reported total financial losses of almost $143 million.

“Phishing scams are one of the most common scams reported to Scamwatch, with more than 25,000 reports last year involving losses of over $1.5 million,” the OAIC said.

“More than four in 10 scams either targeted victims’ personal information or involved the incidental loss of personal information.”

It said phishing was also a leading cause of data breaches, accounting for 15 per cent of the 518 mandatory data breach notifications received by the OAIC between January and June.

It said practical steps to keep personal information safe included always asking why, how and who and not giving out personal information unless comfortable with how it was going to be used.

“Use strong and unique passphrases for email accounts to reduce the risk of login details being compromised or stolen,” the Office said.

“Avoid using unsecured WIFI networks for secure transactions, like banking or online shopping, and check the website you‘re using is secure by looking for the padlock symbol and ‘https’ at the beginning of its domain name.”

The OAIC urged people to be aware of what they shared online and to adjust their privacy settings on social media to help protect personal information.

“Finally, contact your financial institution if you find unfamiliar or suspicious activity in your transaction history, and check your credit report,” the Office said.

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