The ACCC said the “lengthy” lockdowns meant those who lost work were more vulnerable to government impersonation, investment and early access to super scams.Īdditionally, the ACCC said Victorians were more likely to experience loneliness, leading to an increase in puppy and romance scams.

“This was a common ruse in vehicle sale and puppy scams, which both had higher reports and losses,” Rickard said.Īll up Victorians lost $49 million to scams - a 115 per cent increase on 2019 losses. The restrictions saw scammers claim people could not see items before purchasing. Victorians, who experienced several lockdowns in 2020, also lost the most to scammers. Contact the BBB at 80 or visit lost the most ($328 million) to investment scams, followed by romance scams ($131 million) and payment redirections scams ($128 million). Rick Walz is the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Indiana, which serves 23 counties.

Your story can help other consumers avoid similar scams. And if you spot a scam, whether you have lost money or not, report it to BBB’s Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker and the FTC at. Never send money or personal information to someone you’ve never met in person.įor more tips from BBB, visit BBB.org. Search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t. Conduct a reverse image lookup using a website like or to see if the photos on a profile are stolen from somewhere else. Many scammers steal photos from the web to use in their profiles. Make sure to verify the person's identity before moving to another form of communication, such as texting on a personal phone number or a different texting app. If a love interest appears to be in a hurry to get off the dating app to an unsecure chat app, that is a red flag. Use FINRA BrokerCheck® to the check registration status of, and for additional information about, the people and firms who tout these opportunities.

Research opportunities before investing.

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Do not pay for products with cryptocurrency (especially to someone you’ve never met in person).

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