Queensland has been announced as the state with the highest average financial loss due to scammers in 2020.
Research from the Targeting Scams Report suggested that Queensland residents lost more than $32 million collectively last year compared to $27.3 million in 2019.
According to the Queensland Government, the three top financial scams reported were dating, false billing, and investment and for every scam reported, the average loss was more than $8,300.
The Office of Fair Trading noted an increase in reported scams throughout the Covid-19 pandemic including fake online stories, text and email scams, itinerant trading scams and phone calls from people pretending to be from trusted organisations or Government agencies.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Shannon Fentiman has urged residents to ‘keep their eyes open’ for any suspicious behaviour.
“If something seems not right with a phone call, an email, text or a pop-up, then take the time to consider who you are dealing with,” said Minister Fentiman.
“Delete, do not respond or click any link.
“Talk to your friends and family about what you’ve seen and what they’ve experienced and check online with Scamwatch for advice about the latest scams.”
For more information, visit the Scamwatch or OFT websites.
