About 50 per cent of Fijians have been targets of scams, a new report released today states. The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) worked on the production of the 2024 State of Scams in Fiji report with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA). 133 Fijians participated in the survey which found threats and emerging opportunities for combating those who seek to cheat and defraud the people of Fiji. FCCC said it had partnered with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) to strengthen the fight against fraudulent activities targeting vulnerable consumers in Fiji.
ON the question how confident are you that you can recognise scams, 66 per cent of Fijians said they are confident in their recognition of scams while 10 per cent of respondents said they do not trust in their own ability to reliably identify scams.
Respondents were asked: How often have you been exposed to scam attempts in the last 12 months? This includes receiving suspicious content, as well as seeing deceitful advertising. Fifty two per cent of Fijians said they encounter scams at least once per month while only 20 per cent of Fijians survey respondents revealed that they are rarely confronted by scams.
Fijians were asked compared to the year before, do they feel they have been exposed more or less frequently by an individual/company that tried to deceive you in the last 12 months? Fifty per cent of the Fijians encountered more scams in the last 12 months while 26 per cent of Fijians respondents experienced a reduction in scam encounters.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being exploited by scammers to enhance the sophistication, scale, and effectiveness of their fraudulent schemes. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, such as data analysis, automation, and content generation, scammers can target victims more precisely and convincingly. Most Fijians are aware scammers can use AI against them and when asked if they thought Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used in an attempt to scam them, 21 per cent of Fijians were uncertain whether AI was used to scam them and 18 per cent of the Fijians stated they did not believe they were subjected to scams utilising artificial intelligence.
On the issue of which communication channel(s) did scammers approach Fijians in the last 12 months as part of a scam, the survey found majority of scams are delivered via instant messaging apps or social media post, digital advertising, phone calls and emails are also common scam media.
Fijians were asked if they reported a scam or scam attempt to the police or authorities in the last 12 months. Sixty nine per cent of the Fijians did not report the scam to law enforcement while 25 per cent stated they reported the scam to law enforcement or another government authority.
A scam can last for minutes, like a quick phishing call and Fijians were asked how long did the scam last, from the first time they heard from the scammer until the last payment they made or the last time they contacted the scammer. Thirty two per cent of scams are completed within 24 hours of first contact, the survey found while 23 per cent Fijians were scammed in a matter of minutes, but 4 per cent were targeted with a long con of a year or more.
Fijians were asked how they discovered that they were scammed. Seventy nine per cent came to their own conclusion that they had been scammed while 28 per cent were notified by media/news and family/friends which were popular in pointing out scams.
On the question of how Fijians paid the scammer, the survey found it was done through peer-to-peer apps, bank, cash and cheques which were the top scam payment methods.
E-wallet and credit card are also popular tools which scammers use to collect stolen funds in Fiji.
Fijians were asked if they tried to recover the money they had lost. Zero per cent of victims were able to fully recover their losses while 44 per cent did not try to recover their funds and 44 per cent tried but were not able to recover any money.
Sixty two per cent of Fijians victims perceived a strong emotional impact after they were scammed, while 13 per cent of the survey respondents reported little to no emotional impact due to scams. On the question of if a scam changed their trust on the Internet, 77 per cent of the Fijians have less trust in the Internet because of scams, while only 4 per cent of the Fijians reported little to no loss of trust in the Internet due to scams.
Fijians were asked what was the main reason that they got deceived or scammed. Majority said they get caught out by reacting quickly to attractive offers and that a sizable portion of victims also reported that they did not detect the scam until it was too late.
The survey found scams are mostly shared with the Fiji Police Force and Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission, Online Safety Commission and Consumer Council of Fiji are popular places to report scams. On the question of what reasons might Fijians have to not report a scam, many Fijians believe that reporting scams won’t make a difference and other reasons for not reporting are: uncertainty on where to report scams; and complex processes.
Recovering money from scams is tough because scammers often hide their identities, use untraceable payment methods, move funds quickly, and operate across borders, complicating legal and financial recovery efforts. On the question if Fijians were scammed, who do they think should be responsible for making sure they are paid back for your loss. Thirteen per cent of Fijians assume no one will refund their scam losses while others believe the platform used by scammers or their consumer agency will refund them.
A money mule is someone who transfers illegally obtained funds for scammers, often unknowingly, through their own accounts, risking legal consequences while helping criminals launder money efficiently. Fijians were asked if someone offered them
$US20,000 ($F45,900) on the condition that you send $US19,000 ($F43,600)to another bank account, leaving you with $US1000 ($F2300) to keep, what would you do? Four per cent of Fijians admit that they would consider being a money mule, however, 88 per cent of those surveyed claim they would refuse to be involved in a “money mule” scam.
