The Australian consumer watchdog is investigating 141 Australian websites suspected of scamming the public following an international sweep of the internet conducted by consumer protection agencies yesterday.
The suspicious sites include those providing genealogy/family history services, online DNA testing, lotteries, premium mobile services and arbitrage betting providers, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said.
If the website operators are unable to substantiate their claims they will be forced to make modifications or take the sites down altogether.
"The law is the law. When dealing with traders operating in Australia, the same basic rights apply online as they do offline," ACCC deputy chairman Peter Kell said.
You can read more at http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/dot-cons-141-aussie-websites-targeted/2008/09/23/1221935618431.html and at http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/843633.
I wonder what they consider to be "basic rights" on the genealogy sites?
What I found amusing is that when I looked at that web page, a banner ad appeared at the top for a "get rich quick" web site. It said, "I'm Rich. You're Not. I Cracked The Code To Making Money. See How I Make $3 Million Per Year Doing Nothing, And How You Can Too." That advertisement is for a rather well-known scam, although not one based in Australia. Those banner ads at the top of the page will change most every time you look at that page so you may or may not see the same ad.
