An expert panel brought together by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) met this week to discuss the threats posed by current fraud and scam trends and how consumers can prevent themselves becoming victims of cybercrime.
The ‘Cybercrime and You: Fraud and Scams in 2024’ forum, held in Hobart, included Professor Jeremy Prichard (University of Tasmania), Dr Joel Scanlan (University of Tasmania), Detective Sergeant Paul Turner (Tasmania Police) and Principal Compliance Officer Shawn Chia (CBOS).
Minister for Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs, Madeleine Ogilvie said the Rockliff Liberal Government is encouraging the community to be on the look-out for suspicious cyber activities and remain vigilant when online.
“The risk of fraud and scam attempts in our communities is increasing, and they are becoming increasingly difficult to detect,” said Minister Ogilive.
"Valentines day is a timely reminder to be on the lookout for romance scams in particular.
“Sadly, Australians are losing record amounts of money to cybercrime as scammers continue to diversify their methods of deception.
“Education and awareness is the best protection from fraud and scams so it was great to hear from recognised experts in cybersecurity on how to detect, handle, report and recover from fraud and scam attempts.”
Along with the panellists, expert staff from CBOS were also in attendance to answer attendee’s questions before and after the panel session from the audience.
Given the success of this inaugural forum, CBOS is considering offering future events to help educate and better protect our communities in the future.
“The Rockliff Liberal Government is doing what matters to ensure Tasmanians have all the tools and education they need to avoid the threats posed by cybercrime,” Minister Ogilive said.
For a detailed list of agencies that you can report fraud and scams to, visit the CBOS website: Report a scam (cbos.tas.gov.au).
More Media Releases from Madeleine Ogilvie
More Media Releases from the Minister for Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs