Thousands of people have been swindled by people impersonating government officials during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Scammers claiming to be from commonwealth agencies and offering to help victims tap into their super have pocketed more than $1.26 million so far this year, with a steep increase during tax time.
Delia Rickard, deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, said many grifters were making fake government threats or using phishing techniques to dupe people into handing over their personal details.
"Scammers are increasingly taking advantage of the financial difficulties and uncertainty generated from the COVID-19 pandemic to trick unsuspecting Australians," she said on Tuesday.
"Both of these scams can be quite convincing and can lead to significant financial losses or even identity theft."
Australian Associated Press
