Published Sunday, 24 February, 2008 at 05:00 AM
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland
The Honourable Kerry Shine
Fraud Fortnight Highlights Scam Pitfalls: Shine
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kerry Shine, has warned Queenslanders not to get stung by scams, with the launch of Fraud Fortnight today.
Fraud Fortnight aims to raise awareness about the serious threat to personal identity and financial security posed by scams.
“The Office of Fair Trading received more than 1625 complaints about scams last year, with 659 coming from Brisbane alone,” Mr Shine said.
“These figures are only a fraction of the number of scams we know are circulating in the community.
“Many victims of scams don’t report the crime because they feel they’ve been duped and are willing to lose their money without complaining out of fear of embarrassment.
“Fraudsters can make tens of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims, and they don’t care who they target.”
The top five scams reported in Queensland are fake lotteries, chain letters, invoice fraud, which targets business through fake advertising and directory listings, gambling software and, advance fee fraud (also referred to as Nigerian scams).
“Brisbane has a relatively high proportion of chain letter complaints, with over 20 per cent of all chain letter complaints, most relating to the David Rhodes Chain Letter, which is an illegal pyramid schemed designed to rip people off,” Mr Shine said.
“Scams can come from anywhere - the internet, email, post, over the phone, by direct contact door-to-door, at seminars or other private or public places.
“The best way to protect yourself is to know the warning signs of a scam, including unsolicited offers, high pressure sales tactics and promises that seem too good to be true.”
Mr Shine said the Fraud Fortnight campaign, which runs from 24 February to 8 March, was an important national initiative.
“The Office of Fair Trading, as a member of the Australian Consumer Fraud Taskforce, has helped coordinate the campaign to encourage greater awareness and understanding of scams among consumers.”
For more information on protecting yourself from scams, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or phone 13 13 04. To report a scam during Fraud Fortnight visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.
Media contact: Troy Davies (Attorney-General’s office) 3239 6400, 0488 799 273
Fraud Fortnight aims to raise awareness about the serious threat to personal identity and financial security posed by scams.
“The Office of Fair Trading received more than 1625 complaints about scams last year, with 659 coming from Brisbane alone,” Mr Shine said.
“These figures are only a fraction of the number of scams we know are circulating in the community.
“Many victims of scams don’t report the crime because they feel they’ve been duped and are willing to lose their money without complaining out of fear of embarrassment.
“Fraudsters can make tens of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims, and they don’t care who they target.”
The top five scams reported in Queensland are fake lotteries, chain letters, invoice fraud, which targets business through fake advertising and directory listings, gambling software and, advance fee fraud (also referred to as Nigerian scams).
“Brisbane has a relatively high proportion of chain letter complaints, with over 20 per cent of all chain letter complaints, most relating to the David Rhodes Chain Letter, which is an illegal pyramid schemed designed to rip people off,” Mr Shine said.
“Scams can come from anywhere - the internet, email, post, over the phone, by direct contact door-to-door, at seminars or other private or public places.
“The best way to protect yourself is to know the warning signs of a scam, including unsolicited offers, high pressure sales tactics and promises that seem too good to be true.”
Mr Shine said the Fraud Fortnight campaign, which runs from 24 February to 8 March, was an important national initiative.
“The Office of Fair Trading, as a member of the Australian Consumer Fraud Taskforce, has helped coordinate the campaign to encourage greater awareness and understanding of scams among consumers.”
For more information on protecting yourself from scams, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or phone 13 13 04. To report a scam during Fraud Fortnight visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.
Media contact: Troy Davies (Attorney-General’s office) 3239 6400, 0488 799 273