Keep away from the press lure and keep rip-off conscious

Australians have already misplaced greater than $147 million to scams in 2025, with NSW residents alone reporting greater than $48 million in losses, and greater than 25,000 scams to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s National Anti-Scam Centre – Scamwatch.  

Phishing scams the place individuals are tricked into clicking hyperlinks or getting into particulars on pretend web sites which impersonate trusted organisations like banks, governments, or different providers, are nonetheless the most typical scams in NSW with practically 9,000 stories, adopted by identification theft, on-line procuring scams, and false billing. 

Those aged 65 and over proceed to be disproportionately affected, with older Aussies lodging greater than 6,100 stories within the final 12 months alone.  

In the previous 12 months, greater than 40 per cent of rip-off stories acquired by NSW Fair Trading had been associated to phishing makes an attempt involving impersonation scams on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and WhatsApp.  

Around 27 per cent concerned tele fraud, false billing, or itinerant dealer scams, whereas others involved pretend fundraising, commerce promotions, and group gaming – reflecting the various methods scammers goal customers. 

But it’s not simply on-line and digital scams which may trigger hurt, customers are additionally being warned to be vigilant when procuring on-line. 

Often based mostly abroad, pretend, or non permanent on-line retailers can seemingly pop-up in a single day and make use of ‘bait’ promoting like pressing calls to motion which intention to hurry consumers into securing a purchase order earlier than authenticity is verified. 

While Australian Consumer Law applies to on-line purchases made in Australia, purchases from overseas-based scammers are troublesome to resolve. 

Shoppers are urged to remain vigilant, analysis the vendor, use safe cost strategies like bank cards or PayPal for purchaser safety, and at all times watch out for offers which can look too good to be true. 

People who’ve been scammed from bogus retailers ought to hold receipts and screenshots of correspondence to help with lodging a grievance with NSW Fair Trading. 

Everyone may also be a part of ID Support NSW’s free 30-minute webinar on 27 August for Scams Awareness Week 2025 to learn to spot, keep away from, and report scams – register for the webinar right here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/events-hub/occasions/scams-awareness-week-2025-webinar.  

To assist folks store safely on-line, ID Support NSW additionally presents a free on-line procuring module which explains the best way to spot pretend web sites, keep away from scams, and know what to do if one thing goes fallacious: https://www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/be taught/learning-modules/online-shopping. 

Clear recommendation on recognizing rip-off messages, managing privateness settings, securing units, and monitoring monetary info, together with the best way to request a short lived credit score ban if wanted, is accessible at www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/be-prepared. 

NSW Fair Trading encourages customers dissatisfied with a enterprise’s providers to lodge a grievance on-line right here: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/online-tools/make-a-complaint or on 13 32 20.  

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib mentioned: 

“It’s worth taking the time to be sure you are not being scammed and we want everyone to take a moment to stop, check, and protect themselves and their loved ones against scams. 

“Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics, targeting people through social media, messaging apps and impersonating trusted organisations.  

“Phishing scams are still the most reported in NSW, and they’re becoming harder to spot, so if something feels off, trust your instincts and don’t engage.”  

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong mentioned: 

“Consumer protection is one of the Minns Labor Government’s top priorities.  

“When a business is based in Australia and a consumer has been misled or scammed, NSW Fair Trading can step in to help resolve the issue where appropriate. 

“Buying from private sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace can carry real risks, so if a deal seems too good to be true, it often is, and consumers should take extra care and trust their instincts. 

“NSW Fair Trading encourages people to buy from reputable retailers and to be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar online sellers.  

“If someone believes they’ve been scammed, they should report it to the ACCC via the Scamwatch website, which helps protect others and contributes to national efforts to disrupt scam activity.”