Aussies Handing Over $1B A Year To Con Artists
Australians are continuing to fall victim to online scammers who promise instant wealth but then steal hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars from their target.
Australians are handing over at least $1 billion a year to online fraudsters as well as volunteering bank details such as pin numbers to conmen posing as bank officials.
Two surveys released today by the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce showed that the scams are being refined and in 2009 included inheritance scams, work-from-home scams and dating/romance scams.
The surveys, conducted in 2008 and 2009, showed that the 55-64 year age group was more likely to respond to a scam while those earning $20,000 annually were more likely to send personal information.
The Taskforce report said consumer fraud is costing Australia $1 billion a year although the full extent is not known because many victims are too ashamed to report the crime.
Justice Minister Brendan O’Connor, who launched the surveys, said the one golden rule people should use when receiving outlandish online offers was that if it is too good to be true, it probably is.
“If people are saying to you that you are going to get money for nothing, or large sums of money if you engage with them … don’t be duped by their invitation,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Use the common sense test - if it seems too good to be true it probably is.”
He said because of the sheer scale of scams that can be sent out at the press of button, the fraudsters only need to get a tiny number of respondents to reap their profits.
Mr O’Connor said many people who become victims are ashamed and do not report the crime to police.
He said the work-from-home scam carried an extra sting in the tail in that the victim, when asked to open an account to receive money, could, in fact, be acting as a money launderer for organised crime.
“You may be helping launder money for organised criminals so not only could you be losing money but you could be committing offences which carry serious penalties,” Mr O’Connor said.
Lottery scams, where victims are told they have won a prize or money but must first send a specified amount of money or personal information before collecting, attracted the most victims in 2008.
In 2009, it was the work-from-home scam that attracted the highest number of victims.