CANBERRA – The Australian government launched an anti-scam centre today to prevent financial losses and support victims, reported Xinhua.
Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones said the new National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) would bring together experts from government agencies, law enforcement and the financial sector to disrupt scammers.
A report published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in April revealed that Australians lost AUD$3.1 billion (RM9.6 billion, US$2.06 billion) to scams last year – an 80% increase in total losses recorded in 2021.
Fake investment scams were the most damaging, accounting for almost half of the total losses, with people aged 65 and over the most vulnerable.
“There is a scamdemic. No one is safe. Scammers are getting more sophisticated and costing Australians billions of dollars,” Jones told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“The top priority of our new National Anti-Scam Centre is to detect and disrupt scammers before they can reach Australians.”
To coincide with its establishment, the NASC launched a taskforce to address high-profile and damaging investment scams with a focus on early intervention to disrupt scams and removing scam websites.
Headed by the ACCC and Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the taskforce will operate for six months, after which its outcomes will be publicly reported.
The NASC will take on the role of linking scam victims with support services.
At the time of releasing April’s report, ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said it was clear that a coordinated national response was needed to tackle scams. – Bernama, July 3, 2023
