Scamwatch Website to Boost Protection
Have you ever received a scam email? How about a phone call that sounded too good to be true? I’m sure we all have, but hopefully you didn’t fall prey to a scam. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recognises this to be a problem throughout Australia and other parts of the world. This week they have upped their security measures to protect innocent people against scam artists who regularly target small business owners and individuals.
The website www.scamwatch.gov.au is set up to inform people of potential scams and how to stay safe. You can sign up to receive regular emails about trending or current scams going around. They also host a monthly statistical scam feed, which hit more than 6 Million AUD loss just for the month of June of this year. The site also shows a detailed list of the different scams out there and how they affect taxpayers.
There is a page on the site called “Learn from real life stories” where you can read how individuals were affected by online scams and the outcome of their situation. One of the victims is Georgina who met her fiancé on Facebook. She warns how meeting online can be dangerous and how you should definitely take precautions. Her fake fiancé left her completely broke and alone.
The updated website reports 45,743 scam complaints for this year which total a financial loss of more than 45 Million. It also said that 45.1% of the scams were by phone and 33.1% by email. One of the new features include a monthly update about which scams are likely to affect Australians – which will hopefully keep you one step ahead of the scammers.
The scams affect every age group and all income levels – there is not one group more likely to be a victim. Everyone is vulnerable, although there are some specific scams that target the elderly, including: dating and romance, investment schemes, buying or selling items, and door to door maintenance. Being informed is key to staying safe and protected.
If you have any questions about a questionable email you received, check out the website and make sure you are not falling victim to a known scam. Make sure to report any suspicious emails, phone calls or scams you receive to the website as soon as possible to help warn others.
Hillier Riches wants you to stay safe and keep your hard earned money. Our tax agents and business advisors in Caulfield professionals can help you with any of your financial questions or tax advice.
Disclaimer:
Hillyer Riches Management Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No 466483) of Capstone Financial Planning Pty Ltd. ABN 24 093 733 969. AFSL / ACL No. 223135.This document contains general advice only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Also, changes in legislation may occur frequently. We recommend that our formal advice be obtained before acting on the basis of this information.
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