Australians lose $260,000 as clairvoyant scams rise

Australians have lost $260,000 in the last six months to clairvoyant scams as more people fall prey to deceptive tactics.

Scamwatch has received 63 reports so far this year, which is up 219 per cent on losses last year, as "opportunistic" scammers connect with their victims increasingly on social media.

"Scammers often use personal information shared on these platforms to convince victims that their insights are genuine," a spokesperson told 9News.com.au.

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"Scamwatch advice is not to send money to anyone claiming to be a clairvoyant.

"Personal information and credit card details disclosed in one scam can also be used as part of other scams."

Australians have also been targeted by psychic and clairvoyant scams by the post, email, phone and even face-to-face.

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Can you pick the Black Friday scam text message?

The scammer often predicts a positive upcoming event or claims a person is in some sort of trouble and offers a solution.

This solution may be winning lottery numbers, a lucky charm, the removal of a curse or jinx or ongoing protection in return for a fee.

The ACCC encourages people to report scams on their website.

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