ACCC sweep finds 140 potential scam websites

A sweep of Australian websites by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has netted 140 websites making dubious claims that will be the subject of in-depth reviews.

A sweep of Australian websites by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has netted 140 websites making dubious claims that will be the subject of in-depth reviews.

The sweep, conducted on Monday, was part of an global operation conducted by 20 agencies under the banner of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network. The ACCC was the co-ordinator of this year’s sweep.

“Any online trader sending out what appears to be false and misleading messages will be asked to verify and substantiate their claims,” deputy ACCC chairman Peter Kell said before the sweep was launched.

“It’s wrong to think the trading rules are different online. The law is the law,” he says. “When dealing with traders operating in Australia, the same basic rights apply online as they do offline.”

An ACCC spokesman says the Canberra office, which led the sweep, examined around 750 websites and found 140 sites with potential problems.

Particular problem areas including ticketing sites, geneology and family history sites, lottery sites and premium mobile phone sites selling content such as ringtones.

The ACCC also looked closely at websites offering body enhancement products, complementary medicines, work-from-home schemes, communication services and environmentally safe products.

Results continue to roll in from the ACCC’s regional offices and there may also be some sites flagged by the other international agencies involved in the sweep.

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