The Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce began its 2010 Fraud Week campaign today with release of the first Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) scams activity report. Wednesday it will release information to help small businesses protect themselves.
The March 1-7 Fraud Week hopes to reduce the incidence and impact of fraud and scams. The annual event tries to co-ordinate the release of information for consumers, timed to coincide with the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network Global Consumer Fraud Prevention Month.
The Consumer Fraud Taskforce began in 2005. It is chaired by ACCC deputy chair Peter Kell and includes representatives from 21 government agencies from Australia and New Zealand that are responsible for consumer protection regarding frauds and scams.
Consumers who have been scammed are invited to complete the Australian Institute of Criminology’s annual scams survey at http://www.aic.gov.au/crime_types/economic/fraud/acft/survey.aspx
More information about the task force is available at www.scamwatch.gov.au