Displaying items by tag: Delia Rickard

Australians have lost over $70 million to bogus investment scams in the first half of this year and a massive increase in losses are predicted by the end of the year, according to the consumer watchdog the ACCC.

Scammers have stolen more than $7.2 million from Australians so far this year by gaining access to home computers, an increase of 184% compared to the same period last year.

Australians have lost a record $851 million to scams, with scammers taking advantage of the pandemic to con unsuspecting people, according to a new report which also reveals that investment scams accounted for the biggest losses.

Australians have already lost over $288,000 to vehicle scams in the first quarter of this year, more than all losses reported to Scamwatch in 2019, and scammers have now begun impersonating defence personnel to con their victims, according to the consumer watchdog, the ACCC.

Australian businesses reported over $14 million in losses to Scamwatch due to payment redirection scams last year, and average losses so far in 2021 are more than five times higher compared to average losses in the same period in 2020, according to the ACCC.

Car manufacturers have successfully recalled 99.9% of the more than 3 million vehicles affected by deadly Takata airbags which are subject to a compulsory recall.

Losses by Australians to dating and romance scams are expected to be much higher this year as scammers turn to a new technique - romance baiting - using dating apps to lure victims into investment scams, according to the consumer watchdog, the ACCC.

Caravan and motorhome owners have been warned by the consumer watchdog, the ACCC, about “deadly” faulty water heaters that may produce unsafe levels of carbon monoxide when gas is used to generate the heat.

Over 65,000 vehicles with deadly Takata airbags still remain on Australian roads with just four weeks until the compulsory recall deadline.

Australians have been warned to be careful when buying gifts this holiday season as losses to online shopping scams have already increased 42% this year as the country enters the busy Christmas-New Year period.

Four of Australia’s largest e-commerce businesses have confirmed their commitment to protecting consumers from unsafe goods online after signing on to a new product safety pledge.

Over 90,000 cars with deadly Takata airbags are still on Australian roads according to the latest quarterly update by the the competition regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

A campaign warning parents and carers of the dangers of button batteries has been launched by the ACCC.

Young people are reporting the highest losses to threat-based scams, with Australians having lost over $8.8 million to the scams so far this year, and people aged 24 and under reporting losing more than $4.1 million to the scams.

Australians have already lost over $300,000 to rental and accommodation scams this year - an increase of 76% compared to the same time last year - by responding to fake advertisements posted on real estate or classified websites.

The use and sharing of data by apps, the extent of competition between Google and Apple’s app stores, and whether more pricing transparency is needed in Australia’s mobile apps market, are among issues to be scrutinised by the competition watchdog, the ACCC.

National Broadband Network operator NBN Co has launched a community education campaign focusing on the threat of scams and warning that scammers are increasing their focus to “deceive Australians”, with new and variations of common NBN themed scams emerging in recent months.

About 155,000 vehicles with defective Takata airbags are still running on Australian roads, the Australian Completion and Consumer Commission has warned, adding that there are only six months left for the manufacturers to complete the recall of these automobiles.

The Australian consumer watchdog has lost an appeal against a pre-payment scheme being used by telecommunications provider TPG Telecom, with the Full Federal Court finding for the company on Thursday.

Over $1.26 million has been lost by Australians to government impersonation scams, according to a new report from the ACCC’s Scamwatch service.