{"id":107217,"date":"2015-05-18T11:32:23","date_gmt":"2015-05-18T01:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=107217"},"modified":"2020-12-15T12:46:42","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T02:46:42","slug":"81m-lost-in-online-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/05\/18\/81m-lost-in-online-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"$81m Lost In Online Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/scamwatch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-107218\" title=\"Scamwatch\" src=\"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/scamwatch.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"147\" \/><\/a>May 18, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission\u2019s latest <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au\/publications\/targeting-scams-report-on-scam-activity\/targeting-scams-report-of-the-accc-on-scam-activity-2014\" target=\"_blank\">Targeting Scams Report,<\/a><\/strong> released today, shows that 91,637 Australians scam complaints were made to the ACCC last year, with more than $81 million reported lost.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ACCC is urging consumers to \u2018Get smarter with their data\u2019 as stolen personal information underpins almost every scam reported,&#8221; ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Scammers are stealing not only your money but also your data, which they then use to commit identity theft or to sell to other scammers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour personal data is a valued commodity \u2013 and one that you cannot put too high a price on when it comes to protecting it. Unfortunately, scammers also recognise the value of your personal information and will go to great lengths to steal it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>In 2014, online dating scams remained the number one scam for financial losses with almost $28 million reported lost, despite making up only 3 per cent of all scam reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The next highest reported losses were investment fraud and computer prediction software scams, both of which are often dressed up as legitimate investment opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>These two scams accounted for 26 per cent of reported losses and more than $21 million dollars lost.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIncreasingly, scammers are using personal information gleaned from social media profiles to target victims for a fraudulent relationship or investment,&#8221; Ms Rickard said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Scammers are constantly \u2018phishing\u2019 for your personal details such as your name, address and birth date and this will only increase as your personal data becomes more valuable to them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGet smarter with your data and keep it out of the hands of scammers.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #006699;\"><strong>SCAMwatch tips:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep your personal details secure: Lock your mailbox, and shred your bills and other important documents before throwing out. Be careful sharing information about yourself online, including social media, blogs and other online forums.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Think twice about what you say and do in an online environment: Stop and think before filling in surveys, entering competitions, clicking on links or attachments, or even \u2018befriending\u2019, \u2018liking\u2019 or \u2018sharing\u2019 something.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep your mobile devices and computers secure: Always use password protection, don\u2019t share access with others (including remotely), update security software and back up content. Protect your Wi-Fi network with a password and avoid using public computers or Wi-Fi hotspots to access online banking or provide personal information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose your passwords carefully: A strong password should include a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t use the same password for every account\/profile, and don\u2019t share your passwords with anyone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Beware of any request for your details or money: Use the phone book or an online search to check the organisation\u2019s contact details. NEVER use the contact details provided in the original request.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Get a copy of your credit report: You can get a free copy of your report every year to check that no one is using your name to borrow money or run up debts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>External links<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au\/publications\/targeting-scams-report-on-scam-activity\/targeting-scams-report-of-the-accc-on-scam-activity-2014\" target=\"_blank\">ACCC&#8217;s Targeting Scams Report<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmart.gov.au\/borrowing-and-credit\/borrowing-basics\/credit-reports#Get\" target=\"_blank\">How To Get A Free Credit Report<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission\u2019s latest Targeting Scams Report, released today, shows that 91,637 Australians scam complaints were made to the ACCC last year, with more than $81 million reported lost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":275282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.11 - 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