As Black Friday fast approaches, the sales have already started, and millions of people are online in search of discounts and deals.
Amid the excitement, shoppers should also be on high alert for scams and phishing attempts. While the holiday shopping season offers great opportunities to save, it also brings heightened risks of online scams.
Online shopping scams cost consumers millions each year, with cybercriminals targeting people using email, text message or social media to try and trick online uses into revealing account information or financial details.
The most common online scams involve a fake website and non-existent products and services, during the purchase the scammer takes personal and financial information and installs malicious software on devices or receives payment for goods that never arrive.
While hunting for those online bargains the Financial and Cyber Crime Group recommend shoppers ask themselves these three questions:
- Is the website legitimate? Look for "https://" in the URL and be cautious with unfamiliar sites. Double-check the domain name to avoid imitation websites designed to steal your information. Double check those marketing emails and social media pop up ads to ensure they are from legitimate stores.
- Did the deal arrive by email or text with a link? Be cautious when receiving emails or social media messages promoting incredible deals. Never click on links from unknown sources, and instead go directly to the retailer's official website to confirm offers.
- Do I have a strong and different password for each site I sign up to? Never use the same password across multiple sites. Consider using a password manager to keep your passwords secure and enable two-factor authentication for an extra layer of protection.
Stop and think before committing to a purchase. Be sceptical of a deal that seems too-good-too-be-true as chances are it probably is.
Stay safe online and we hope you get the deal you want.
To learn more about scams, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.
If you have lost money, notify your bank immediately.
If you have been the victim of a cybercrime, you can report this online at ReportCyber.
