By Patrick Avenell

SYDNEY, NSW: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently promoting 2010 Fraud Week, which started today and runs until Sunday. Although the name is slightly ambiguous, this week doesn't encourage fraud, but rather ways to avoid. The focus for 2010 is online fraud, specifically scams.

According to the ACCC, the purpose of Fraud Week is reduce the incidence and impact of fraud and scams. For retailers, fraud in the workplace can range from staff stealing small amounts of cash from the till all the way to highly organised stock loss syndicates.

A lesson in the damages that workplace fraud can rent upon a retail group is the criminal charges currently faced by former Clive Peeters employee Sonya Causer. She is accused of stealing almost $20 million from Clive Peeters over a 2-year period, and is now facing over 70 criminal charges. Whilst her eventual capture and the recovery of lost funds is a positive outcome, the amount of time and money spent uncovering and locating this alleged fraud has cost Clive Peeters unnecessary burden and expenses.

For consumers, online scams are best avoided through the use of internet security products and commonsense. Trend Micro consumer director David Peterson advises users to not trust anyone they don’t know when online and to not follow links or open applications from unknown or dubious sources.

When using social networks, make sure you know the people you are befriending, and that you don’t reveal personal information, such as your date of birth, address, telephone numbers, maiden name or credit card details.

To learn more about how to protect yourself and your business online, visit the Scamwatch Website.