Being parted with your money under fraudulent circumstances is a painful experience and in an online world the risk of becoming a victim becomes greater every day.

This month’s "Scams Target You" campaign seeks to highlight the types of scams that are emerging in the electronic and non-electronic world and the types of precautions that consumers can take to avoid being caught.

The TIO supports the role played by the campaign and associated agencies in strengthening consumer protection and we are happy to lend this support wherever we can assist.

It is worth restating that as an alternative dispute resolution scheme, which is independent of the telecommunications industry and government, the work of the TIO is largely reactive.

The TIO is always looking at ways of proactively assisting individual complainants and passing general information that we have gained in our daily work on to agencies such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Communications and Media Authority. A good example is premium rate SMS messages, an area where complaints to the TIO have risen dramatically over the past 18 months.

At the direction of ACMA, late year the telecommunications industry introduced the Mobile Premium Services Industry Scheme (MPSI). The scheme ensures that there are appropriate safeguards in place in relation to the use of mobile premium services. The safeguards are aimed at protecting children – ensuring access to certain types of content is either restricted or prohibited – giving consumers accurate information about pricing and terms and conditions, and ensuring that there are appropriate unsubscribe mechanisms.

In common with all other complaints involving telecommunications and internet service providers, under MPSI, the TIO handles complaints that cannot be resolved by the provider in the first instance.

The work of the TIO touches on three of the four themes covered during the month-long Scamwatch campaign. They are: protect your phone, protect your computer and protect your identity. To lodge a complaint with the TIO, consumers can visit our website or call 1800 062 058.

If the TIO cannot help, we will refer consumers on to the appropriate agency where possible.

John Pinnock
Ombudsman