Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan): My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation and Minister for Suburban Development, the Honourable Marlene Kairouz. This adjournment matter relates to her portfolio of consumer affairs.
According to Scamwatch, in January this year Australians lost over $1.4 million to romance and dating scams. The Australia-wide statistics for January 2020, through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), showed that over 75 per cent of people who lost money to these scams were female and a little less than 25 per cent were male. However, the number of reports lodged overall were almost equal, with about 52 per cent of reports made by females and 46 per cent made by males.
There are clear discrepancies between these two genders, and females are losing more money when compared to males. Women tend to make less money than men, and generally they tend to be less tech savvy. With the advent of online scams, women become easier targets for the scammers.
The action I seek from the minister is: can the minister give me an update on how Consumer Affairs Victoria can aid the female population of Western Metropolitan Region in understanding and avoiding dating and romance scams?
Dating and Romance Scams Targeting Women | Adjournment
