By Charlene Gatt
BE careful of your online presence … that’s the message from MyCRA Credit Repairs after a recent survey revealed online fraud had doubled in the past four years.
The survey found that 10 per cent of the 2510 Australians surveyed had lost money to online fraud in the past year, with those losses reported to total $1.286 billion.
MyCRA director Graham Doessel said there was a host of information for internet users about how to stay safe online, but many people didn’t learn about identity theft until they or someone they knew became a victim.
“Often it is not understood how easy it is for criminals to steal peoples’ personal information or bank details online, and then use that information to take out credit in the victim’s name,” Mr Doessel said.
To find out more about protecting your online identity, go to www.staysmartonline.gov.au.
