Chris Pearce has welcomed the commencement of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce’s campaign to highlight the dangers of Scams and their impact on Australians.
This year’s campaign focuses on the golden rule: ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!’.
Commencing tomorrow, the four week campaign is a co-ordinated effort by the Australian Government through agencies such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Federal Police; State and Territory Governments and the New Zealand Government.
“Scams cost everyone and anyone can be a target – that surprise lottery win in the mail, the email from your bank, the ‘free’ holiday, the ‘guaranteed income’, the ‘amazing’ share offer over the phone – all these hooks can be fronts for scams,” said Mr Pearce.
Some scams are very easy to spot, while others are so sneaky you may not know they are scams.
“You can protect yourself from scams as most need you to do something before they can operate, for example: spend money based on promises that turn out to be false; giving out personal details; agreeing to deals without getting advice, or buying a product without checking it out properly,” said Mr Pearce.
Crucial messages such as ‘Protect your Money’; ‘Protect your Phone’; ‘Protect your Computer’; and ‘Protect your Identity’ will feature in communications from Ministers, government agencies and law enforcement authorities.
“When suspecting a scam, people should remember the golden rule and then report it by ringing the Taskforce’s hotline on 1300 795 995 or by visiting their website: www.scamwatch.gov.au,” said Mr Pearce.
3 March 2007
MELBOURNE
Contact:
Conor O'Brien - 03 9887 3890 or 0402 970 515