Warning for online shoppers

The Department of Commerce has urged Rockingham and Kwinana residents to exercise caution when shopping online after statistics revealed WA consumers had lost a total of $170,000 to scammers so far this year when buying and selling online.

Consumer Protection has received 45 reports this year from people who have been scammed by bogus buyers and sellers.

Consumer Protection commissioner Anne Driscoll said it was likely to be only the tip of the iceberg.

“The scammers con their victims into making payments usually by wire transfer, which makes it difficult to trace, identify the criminal or recover the victim’s money,” Ms Driscoll said.