Festive fraud threat

POLICE and politicians have warned Geelong region residents of the risk of scams this Christmas, after a four-fold increase in scam activity this year left Australians billions out of pocket.

Corangamite MP Libby Coker hosted a scam information session with Victoria Police cybersafety expert Robbie Noggler at Grovedale last week.

Ms Coker said the issue was widespread across the electorate, with predatory scammers swindling up to tens of thousands of dollars from local families.

“In a year where the volume of scams has skyrocketed, the festive season is a time to be especially cautious,” she said.

“I know from people who are coming to my office having been caught up in scams that this problem impacts people of all ages and social groups.”

Leading Senior Constable Noggler said measures such as varied passwords, hanging up on unsolicited callers and not giving away personal information could help protect against hoaxes.

Ms Coker’s fellow Labor MP Stephen Jones said a sharp spike in online shopping had increased scamming, which costs Australian families and businesses $33 million each year.

“There’s nothing new about scams and frauds, but there has been something new over the last 12 months. We’ve seen scams grow. Not by just 20 or 30 per cent; we’ve seen them quadruple,” Mr Jones said.

Ms Coker urged people to be vigilant and monitor the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ScamWatch website for the latest scams, how to avoid them and how to report them: scamwatch.gov.au.