The collapse of the Ebay online shop recruitment scam last year left more than 900 Fijians out of pocket, with the Consumer Council recording complaints worth $1.7 million.

This week, the Council has launched the National Scam Awareness week, aiming to educate and protect Fijians from future fraud.

Council Chief Executive Seema Shandil describes the impact of the scam as “just the tip of the iceberg.”

She states that some victims including civil servants had refrained from lodging complaints due to fear of repercussions or shame.

Shandil shared the Council’s experience with this scam reveals the vulnerabilities faced by Fijians across all demographics.

The eBay recruitment scam, she says has proven that no one is immune to such fraudulent activities.

Shandil says that even well-educated individuals have fallen prey to impersonation scams on popular messaging platforms.

“As we adapt more to digital platforms, we could see that it gives scammers to come up with various ways or new ways of scamming people and so that term vulnerable does not apply to certain segment of the population but it applies to anyone who is on any digital platform.”

The Council shared stories emerging from this scam are tragic. In one case, a small business owner in Nadi was deceived into abandoning her livelihood, leaving her family without an income.

Another victim, battling a life-threatening illness, lost his life savings meant for medical treatment.

Shandil says that these incidents emphasize the urgent need for ongoing public awareness and education.

The National Scam Awareness Week is a joint effort involving key stakeholders, including the Reserve Bank of Fiji, the Fiji Police Force and international organizations such as the UNDP and the World Bank.

The Consumer Council CEO adds that these partnerships aim to reach every Fijian with critical information on how to protect themselves from scams.

The week-long event will feature discussions, workshops and outreach programs designed to empower Fijians against the evolving tactics of scammers.