ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard says many people never report that they have been scammed.

New figures from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission show that reports of scams — and financial losses — are growing as fraudsters use new technologies to overwhelm a higher level of vigilance among consumers.

For the first time the ACCC has combined its Scamwatch data with other agencies including the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network to paint a broader picture of the impact of scams.

Fraudsters are using new technologies to perpetrate scams.Source:Supplied

ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said that actual 2015 losses would have been much higher than $229 million because many people never reported that they had been scammed.

“The numbers are still going up. It tells us that Australians are still incredibly vulnerable to scams,” she said.

“We are getting better at recognising scams and avoiding them, but more and more scams are being perpetrated every day. Technology just makes it easier for them to spray them everywhere,” Ms Rickard says.

The ACCC’s new Targeting Scams report shows that reports to Scamwatch alone jumped 15 per cent last year to more than 105,000, with $84.9 million of losses reported.

It says phone scams remain the most common, at 45 per cent of all scams, but the use of email and internet is rising.

“The largest scam category for online losses was dating and romance scams. These have been traditionally channelled through online dating sites but are now occurring more frequently on social media platforms,” the report says.

The largest scam category for online losses was dating and romance scams.Source:News Limited

Investment schemes and dating and romance scams account for 56 per cent of all losses, the report says. Women are more likely to report scams, but men lost two-thirds more money.

Ms Rickard said scammers often spent months or years establishing a relationship with their victims, before making up a reason to “borrow” money, often for a false medical emergency.

“Cease contact with anyone that asks for money, no matter how you feel about them,” she said.

Investment scams were often dressed up with glossy brochures and annual reports, and well-trained telephone salespeople, Ms Rickard said. She said people should visit scamwatch.gov.au for more information about scams and how to protect yourself.

“No legitimate government agency, utility or financial institution will call you out of the blue and say you are about to be arrested unless you pay money immediately.”

The Targeting Scams report says 90 per cent of people who report scams have not lost money, up from 86 per cent two years ago “A number of high-loss scams were reported. 12.4 per cent of those who lost money reported losing over $10,000,” it says.