NSW Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox today took his warning about scams direct to consumers in Sydney’s Northmead, opening a scam awareness seminar at the Northmead Bowling and Recreation Club.

“Scammers target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels with online, mail, door- to-door and telephone scams,’’ said Mr Mason-Cox.

“Information sessions such as the one at Northmead are an important part of NSW Fair Trading’s education strategies designed to ensure consumers are scam savvy and do not fall prey to the range of scams targeting NSW consumers.

“The recent spate of telephone scams are variations of the same theme. Generally, consumers receive a call telling them they are owed money from a legitimate organisation such as a bank or a government agency. Others make some fantastic offer, such as big discounts on airfares.

“The caller will ask you for personal details such as a birth date, drivers licence or bank account or credit card details. The scammers may also ask you pay a fee to obtain the alleged money you are owed. Often consumers will be asked to send this fee by wire transfer.

“Australians lost almost $90 million to scams last year, but the real figure is probably much higher, as many people are too embarrassed to report to authorities,’’ he added.

Mr Mason-Cox urged the group today: “If you suspect the call is a scam, simply hang up. If you receive a suspicious email, delete it. If someone knocks on your door offering to lay a driveway, cut down your trees or restore your roof, close the door.

“These simple strategies are a consumer’s best defence to the continuous variations of scams. If you have concerns about the veracity of the person who has approached you, obtain the organisation’s contact details from a service directory and verify for yourself whether the claims are legitimate,” he said.

The scam awareness seminar is part of Fair Trading’s My Place Program being conducted in Northmead, Winston Hills and Seven Hills this week.

My Place Programs deliver a range of information and education opportunities for consumers and industry groups as well as conducting checks on businesses for compliance with fair trading laws.