Posted on 24 May 2016
Please note: this is an old article
It was published in May 2016, so the information may be out-of-date.
Ever received an investment opportunity or bill from someone you don’t know?
The ACCC has released its latest annual report on scams activity in Australia. It shows that 3,585 small business operators reported total losses of more than $2.8 million. The most common types of scams small businesses are falling victim to are:
- Investment schemes ($1,092,000 reported lost)
- Other buying & selling scams ($395,000 reported lost)
- False billing ($233,000 reported lost)
To protect your small business from scammers you should:
- limit how many people have authority to buy or order something for your business.
- keep your filing and accounting systems well organised
- confirm with a supplier if you notice their account details have changed
- keep your office networks, computers and mobile devices secure.
You can find a copy of the ACCC’s Targeting Scams report at www.accc.gov.au . For more information about scams and how to protect your small business go to the ACCC’s Scamwatch website, www.scamwatch.gov.au.