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.<\/p>\n
Corangamite MP Libby Coker hosted a scam information session with Victoria Police cybersafety expert Robbie Noggler at Grovedale last week.<\/p>\n
Ms Coker said the issue was widespread across the electorate, with predatory scammers swindling up to tens of thousands of dollars from local families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a year where the volume of scams has skyrocketed, the festive season is a time to be especially cautious,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ms Coker\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing new about scams and frauds, but there has been something new over the last 12 months. We\u2019ve seen scams grow. Not by just 20 or 30 per cent; we\u2019ve seen them quadruple,\u201d Mr Jones said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n