Shadow Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones will join Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon tomorrow morning for a roundtable discussion with local stakeholders about the impact of online scammers on Novocastrians.

As lockdowns have forced many consumers and businesses online, more and more Novocastrians have been targeted by scams and online fraud.

According to the Australian Cybersecurity Centre, cybercrime cost the economy $33 billion last year alone.

The fact is, Australia is facing a ‘scamdemic’, and Scott Morrison is asleep on the job.

Scott Morrison has been was repeatedly warned that Australians were ‘ripe for exploitation’.

But as usual he refuses to take responsibility for fixing it, leaving some of our most vulnerable people unprotected in the face of sophisticated scammers.

Scott Morrison has turned Australia into a scammers’ paradise.

Families and small businesses will be safer online under an Albanese Labor Government, with the creation of a new cop on the beat to fight scams and online fraud.

An Albanese Labor Government will:

• Establish a National Anti-Scam Centre, based on the successful UK ‘Fusion Cell’ model, bringing together law enforcement, banks, telecommunications providers and consumer advocates to harden national defences protecting Australian consumers and small businesses;
• Double funding for identification recovery services to help Australians who have fallen prey to scammers get their stolen ID back quicker;
• Work through National Cabinet to make it easier for government agencies to work together to recover people’s government-issued ID, like licenses and passports;
• Bring in tough new industry codes for banks, telecommunications providers, social media providers and Government agencies to clearly define responsibilities for protecting consumers and businesses online;
• Review penalties for perpetrators and remedies for consumers currently in place for online fraud, misleading conduct and deceptive practices;
• Ensure that technology platforms who profit from the sale of online advertising are made responsible for the prompt removal of scam advertising from their sites;
• Task a Minister with direct portfolio responsibility for championing the protection of consumers and businesses online.

Labor’s ‘Scambuster’ policy is all about strengthening the system so Australian consumers can shop online with confidence.

Australians should be able to shop online safely, pick up their phone, and answer a text message without fear that they're going to lose their household savings and their life's net worth.

In order to combat the scourge of online fraud and scams, we must bring everyone together to stamp out this problem once and for all.