Scammers fleece $45 million: ACCC

The consumer watchdog is urging people not to send money or personal details to strangers after reporting that $45 million has already been lost this year to scams.

Announcing its new Scamwatch website, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it had received 45,000 complaints since the beginning of the year as scammers become increasingly sophisticated.

"Scams succeed because they look like the real thing and catch you off guard when you're not expecting it," ACCC acting chair Delia Rickard said in a statement on Monday.