91 million lost! ACCC warns scammers are cashing in and taking advantage of COVID-19, , English

Australians' online behaviour has changed dramatically, due to having lived through a lock-down period. This means people can become more vulnerable to fraudsters. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ((ACCC)) warns scammers are cashing in and taking advantage of COVID-19 The ACCC estimates Australians have lost $91 million to scams in 2020. People around the nation have seen lockdown as a perfect opportunity to find a new pet to help ease feelings of loneliness and isolation, but scammers have preyed on their vulnerabilities leaving victims thousands of dollars out of pocket. They each handed over thousands of dollars to who they thought were breeders, only to find out all they paid for was a digital image, which even ended up being a fake.

Source: SBS