MANY of us will start our Christmas shopping soon and it is important to stay safe while shopping for loved ones, particularly if shopping online. Here are some tips to stay safe during the holiday season:
1. Look out for fake online shopping sites Scammers may set up fake storefronts to entice shoppers to make payments to snap up popular products for attractive prices. Unfortunately, many of these stores sell fake products or simply nothing at all. To avoid falling victim, thoroughly research companies you don’t recognise. Search their ABN, check for reviews online, and search for scam alerts on ScamWatch if something doesn’t feel right.
2. Be aware of phishing emails More than 80,000 phishing scams have been reported to ScamWatch so far this year. Look out for unsolicited emails, messages, or calls requesting personal or financial information. At this time of year, these could look like missing or undelivered parcel emails or texts. Always verify the legitimacy of the communication with the people or business sending them before sharing any sensitive data. Never share your passwords!
3. Be wary of impersonation scams Scammers might try to impersonate organisations, with criminals often posing as cyber security or fraud specialists from banks. And because it’s also a time of giving, scammers may also see this as an opportunity to target people’s generosity with charity scams. Texts, emails and websites may pose as people or organisations you trust. Australians lost an estimated $2.7B to scams in 2023, including impersonation scams, so if you’re not sure, hang up, don’t reply, or don’t engage.
Remember, don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you feel unsure, ask yourself if this message or call could be fake, and act quickly if something feels wrong by contacting your financial organisation or reporting your experience to bodies like ScamWatch.
