AUSTRALIANS CONTINUE TO FALL VICTIMS TO SCAMS
* Record $489.7 million lost in 2018 (up $149m)
* More than 378,000 scam reports to ACCC and other government agencies
* Top scams by financial loss:
1. Investments scams - $86 million (up 34 per cent)
2. Dating and romance scams - $60.5 million (up 44 per cent)
* Scammers using new technology such as automated calls and social media, to adapt old scams
* Scammers increasingly ask for money via iTunes, Google Play and other gift cards, plus crypto-currencies, to avoid banks' detection systems
* Businesses lost more than $60 million to email compromise scams, which involve hacking business email systems and impersonating key personnel
* People aged 55-64 lost more money than any other age group ($24.8m in losses reported direct to ACCC)
* Women reported more scams but lost less money than men (women reported $48.8m in losses to ACCC, men $56.9m)
* Men were more affected by investment scams; women by dating and romance scams
* Almost half of victims contacted by phone calls, 23 per cent by email.
Source: ACCC Targeting Scams report. (Headline overall figures include reports to ACCC and other government agencies.)
