Scam Awareness Week - Julie Stewart, Amazon Australia

Aired November 27, 2023. With less than a month left until Christmas, the festive shopping season is well and truly underway. With crowds swarming shopping centres across the nation desperate to tick off their holiday shopping list, Australians are increasingly turning to online shopping as an easier way to fill their stockings - placing them directly in the path of scammers, experts warn. With more than 90,000 phishing scams and 17,000 online shopping scams reported nationwide so far in 2023 – already surpassing 2022’s numbers - experts are urging us to up our awareness and keep a watchful eye out as scam rates soar heading towards Christmas. With three in four of all scams reported nationwide including some form of impersonation of a legitimate entity, experts are fearful of consumers falling victim to malicious actors, reaching out under the guise of a trusted organisation this holiday season. This week is Scam Awareness Week, and Amazon Australia is partnering with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to empower Australians to protect themselves against scams through education and awareness. Joining David Braithwaite to discussing the most common scam tactics we need to watch out for, and how we can keep themselves safe and protected when shopping for presents and gifts, is Julia Stewart, Public Policy Manager at Amazon. For more information about Life FM Gippsland, or to listen live, visit www.lifefm.com.au.