A new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has found Australians lost more than $2 billion to scams last year – a record amount lost.

Investment scams were the highest loss category ($701 million) in 2021, followed by payment redirection scams ($227 million), and romance scams ($142 million).

“Scam activity continues to increase, and last year a record number of Australians lost a record amount of money,” says Delia Rickard, deputy chair of the ACCC.

“Scammers are the most opportunistic of all criminals: they pose as charities after a natural disaster, health departments during a pandemic, and love interests every day.

“The true cost of scams is more than a dollar figure as they also cause serious emotional harm to individuals, families, and businesses.”

Have you, or someone you know, been the victim of a scam in the last year?