The NSW Police Force is urging people to protect themselves from fraud in a crime prevention campaign being launched during National Consumer Fraud Week.

Fraud offences cost the Australian economy billions of dollars each year and in NSW alone 43,000 fraud incidents were reported to police in the 12 months to February 2015.

Additionally, the ACCC reports that almost 100,000 scams are reported to authorities in Australia each year, with losses from those scams valued at tens of millions of dollars.

Commander of the NSW Fraud and Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, said fraud, particularly online fraud, was one of the great modern challenges for police.

“Our reliance on technology has created a raft of new opportunities for criminals, but members of the community can greatly reduce the probability of becoming a victim,” Det Supt Katsogiannis said.

“From protecting your personal details online to being cautious about the websites you visit, to knowing how to spot a scam, there are a range of steps you can take to protect yourself.

“That’s why we are today launching the NSW Police Force Fraud Awareness Campaign.”

Police have today launched three online videos and a series of fact sheets to help people avoid the traps of three common types of fraud: online fraud, credit and debit card fraud, and scam.

Fraud tips will be promoted heavily online throughout the week and Det Supt Katsogiannis will be live on the @nswpolice Twitter account from 12pm today to answer fraud-related questions. Twitter users wanting to take part should use #FraudWeekNSW.

“Our aim is to equip members of the community with the knowledge and tools to make them less attractive to the fraudsters and scammers operating out there,” Det Supt Katsogiannis said.

“We want to remind people that if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

“I also want to stress that your personal information, from your birth date and address to your banking details, are incredibly valuable to criminals who can use that information to access your financial accounts or set up fake identities which are then used to commit other crimes.”

The Fraud Awareness Campaign videos and fact sheets are available on the NSW Police Force website at www.police.nsw.gov.au. Translated versions of the fact sheets are available in Chinese (simplified and traditional), Italian, Greek, Arabic and Croatian.

Cybercrime reports can be made online at www.acorn.gov.au, with reports referred to the relevant policing jurisdiction in Australia.

Reports of crime can also be made to any police station.

Scams can be reported to Scamwatch via [ Ссылка ] and information about scams can be found through the NSW Fair Trading Scam Buster app available on both iOS and Android.

The NSW Police Force would like to thank the sponsors of the Fraud Awareness Campaign: the Department of Justice NSW, Police Bank and Westpac.

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