Australasian Consumer Fraud Awareness Week 18-24 May 2015 – get smarter with your online data

Australasian Consumer Fraud Awareness Week runs from 18-24 May 2015. The focus this year is on the importance of protecting your personal information so that it doesn’t fall into the hands of online scammers.

What is a scam?

Scams are schemes designed to con people out of money. They can come in many forms: online, mail, telephone, and even someone on your doorstep. Scams are costly for consumers and businesses. The cost can be measured in money, time spent dealing with the fallout, and emotional harm. Scammers are constantly designing new ways to defraud their victims and are always at the forefront of technological changes.

How is this relevant to you?

Scammers succeed because they target human vulnerabilities, and we all have weaknesses.

Last year alone, New Zealanders lost an estimated $8million to scams with an average incident loss of $9,300.

$3.1m was reported lost to investment scams; romance scam victims reported losing a total of $1.5m; and inheritance scams and other upfront or advanced fee frauds led to losses of $1.2m.

In total for 2014, more than 8,100 incidents were reported to NetSafe. 31 losses of more than $50,000 were recorded with the most significant loss being $1m.

More than one in ten of the incidents that NetSafe handled in 2014 involved bullying or online harassment and reports were received from young people and adults alike.

To date, for 2015, there are estimated losses of $2.610,681 with March recording the highest loss of $1,079,854.

How to protect yourself

It can seem difficult to stay one step ahead of scammers – but there are ways you can try and protect yourself as much as possible.

The good news is that there are some simple things we can all do to protect ourselves. These include keeping our personal details secure, thinking twice about what we say and do in an online environment, keeping our mobile devices and computers secure, choosing our passwords carefully, and being aware of any requests for personal details or money.

If you are contacted out of the blue, be cautious. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Be aware of common scams.

Report the scam to Scamwatch if you've been scammed or know someone who has.

Where to go for more information

• Visit the MBIE and Commerce Commission websites to find information on how to protect yourself online.

• Visit Scamwatch or call 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723) to report a scam.

• Read NetSafe’s Digital Challenges Report Summary: http://www.netsafe.org.nz/safer-internet-day/documents/SID-2015-Internet-Challenges-Report-WEB.pdf

//ENDS

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