Beware of scammers this holiday season

The run up to Christmas is a lucrative period for retailers, as people look to stock up with promotional offers that coincide with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. AUD $28.09 bn of goods were purchased in 2019. All that money changing hands now puts the scammers back on the horizon, where they target online shoppers with fraudulent emails and fake sites.

Scamwatch has received over 12,000 reports of online shopping scams so far this year (increased by 42% YoY) with almost $7m in reported losses.

How to protect yourself while still taking advantage of online deals

Never click on a suspicious link or file as the scammers impersonate legitimate retailers to trick you into installing malware or stealing credentials. Go directly to the retailer’s website to verify the deal, especially those which are too good to be true!

Look for the padlock on the website URL which appears typically to the left in the address bar. No lock is a major red flag, as attackers can steal information from insecure websites.

Never share your credentials or personal details with untrusted sources, such as mother’s maiden name, make or model of your first car. This can be later used to guess your password and steal your identity or money.

Avoid online shopping on public Wi-Fi as these can be intercepted by the attackers to monitor your transactions or worse steal your banking credentials.

Beware of unusual QR codes as cyber criminals can create malicious QR codes to redirect users to fake websites, steal personal data or to install malware on personal devices. Use QR code payments only if you fully trust the vendor. Never scan random QR codes and steer clear from QR code websites that ask for sensitive information.

Check your bank statements regularly and set-up alerts to spot scams. Use credit cards for purchases, as you can dispute fraudulent or suspicious transactions.

Enable two-factor authentication to approve payments from your bank account.

What to do if you are scammed

Contact your bank and dispute the transaction
Reset your banking, email account and other impacted online passwords
Report the scam using the relevant resources:

Reporting of child cyberbullying, image-based abuse and illegal or harmful online content	esafety.gov.au/report
Reporting of cybercrime or identity theft	cyber.gov.au/report
Reporting a scam	scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
Help with identity theft and related issues	iDcare.org or call 1800 595 160
Help with financial and investment scams	asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/how-to-complain/
For scams and identity theft linked to myGov accounts (Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support)	Call the Services Australia - Scams and Identity Theft Helpdesk on 1800 941 126 Or visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/scams
Report fraud and theft to the Police Assistance Line	Call 131 444
Verify or report a scam to the Australian Tax Office	ato.gov.au/scams

Please feel free to share these tips with your family members and friends to keep them safe on the internet.

If you have queries about this article, please contact your local RSM adviser.