ACORN received 2608 reports from December 1 to 21, 2016

The Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) received 2608 reports of hi-tech crooks trying to scam internet users from December 1 to 21.

Common cases included unexpected prize win, identity theft and romance scams which are estimated to cost Australians USD 55 million a year.

The December figure jumped by more than 80 % from the previous year when ACORN received 1415 reports for the entire month in 2016. In 2014 the figure was even less, with just 1199 reports in December.

In the lead up to Christmas, internet users were warned to look out for suspicious emails including a fake parcel delivery scam from cyber criminals pretending to be Australia Post.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch received more than 4300 complaints about the con in 2016, more than triple the number received in 2015.

There were also reports of internet users receiving fake infringement notices in their inboxes which included a link to a payment page and an attached declaration form.

Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security Dan Tehan said an sharp rise in online crimes should prompt web users to improve their personal cyber security in 2017.