On 11 February 2009 the tenth report by the ACCC to the Australian Senate on anti-competitive and other practices by health funds and providers relating to private health insurance was tabled. This report is provided in compliance with an order agreed to by the Australian Senate on 25 March 1999 and amended on 18 September 2002. The order requires the ACCC to provide a report of ‘any anti-competitive practices by health funds or providers, which reduce the extent of health cover for consumers and increase their out-of-pocket medical and other expenses’.
ACCC keeps small business informed
The ACCC has released the latest edition of ACCC briefing, an electronic newsletter that provides small business subscribers with summaries of recent ACCC activities and media releases. Subscribers also received a copy of a new ACCC publication that highlights national and international issues relevant to the small business sector.
SCAMwatch alert
The following alerts were issued in February:
Australian Government stimulus package scams
SCAMwatch warned Australians to be on the lookout for scammers seeking to take advantage of the Australian Government’s household stimulus package. SCAMwatch received reports of scammers sending bogus emails from seeking personal information such as the person’s name, date of birth, address and bank details.
The emails are disguised as official communications from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or Centrelink and suggest that people need to complete and submit an application to receive the bonus payments when this is not the case.
Taxpayers were advised to visit the ATO website for information on the tax bonus payment and to assess whether any action is required to receive it or the Centrelink website for information on payments to families, students and farmers.People who have received hoax emails and have provided details are advised to contact Centrelink on 1800 050 004.
Victorian bushfire appeal scams
SCAMwatch warned consumers wanting to contribute to the Victorian bushfire appeals to be on alert to ensure they are not taken in by scammers. During the 2003 Canberra bushfires and the 26 December Asian tsunami, scammers took advantage of people's generosity and kindness.
Such scams involve people collecting money by pretending to be a real charity. Not only do these scams cost people money, they also divert much needed donations away from legitimate charities and causes.
The scammers can approach people in the street, by knocking on the door, telephoning, sending spam emails or creating false charity sites on the internet.
Warning signs to assist consumers to identify charity scams and tips to help consumers protect themselves from these scams were also provided.
