The Albanese government is urging Australians to be vigilant to scams this holiday season, as impersonation scams are on the rise.
Australians lost millions of dollars to online shopping scams this year. These criminals know people are on the look out for gifts and bargains at this time of year and will take advantage of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Scammers impersonate well-known and trusted Australian brands by creating fake websites that look like genuine online stores. They then promote these websites on social media and pay for sponsored ads so that their sites appear at the top of search results.
The number of brands being impersonated significantly increased in 2023.
While overall losses to scams have reduced by about 16 per cent since the government established the new National Anti-Scam Centre, people should remain vigilant and take simple steps to protect themselves.
People can identify and avoid these scams by looking out for:
- Popular products being sold at prices much lower than on other websites.
- Don’t click on links in ads – always check this information, and access websites via an independent search or secure apps from official app stores.
- Missing information such as no ‘contact us’ or ‘terms and conditions’ page on a website
- Reviews with high ratings that are vague and light on detail.
- Sellers requesting payment through direct bank transfer or cryptocurrency.
- Messages asking you to click a link to download an attachment or enter your personal details.
Other common scams to look out for during the holiday season include:
- Parcel delivery scams: scammers will ask people to update their details or arrange parcel collection and trick people into providing bank details.
- Fake classified ads: scammers use buy-swap-sell groups or online classified sites to trick people into buying products that don’t exist. Particularly common at Christmas time is puppy scams where people pay a deposit, but no puppy ever arrives.
- Toll scams: scammers impersonate toll companies by sending links with fake pay notices.
The Albanese government remains committed to protecting Australians from scammers. Earlier this month, consultation opened on tough new industry codes that will make Australia an even harder target for scammers. The proposed Framework would introduce minimum, consistent obligations for all regulated businesses to prevent, detect, disrupt, and respond to scams.
Top tips to avoid scams:
- Don’t click on blue links in text messages
- Stop – don’t rush to act. Scammers will often put time limits on offers so people feel they have to act quickly or they’ll miss out.
- Think – Ask yourself could the website or sale item be fake? Search for independent reviews or contact the retailer using contact information you source independently, so you can verify the deal is real.
- Protect – Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you think you have lost money to a scammer.
Quotes attributable to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, the Hon Stephen Jones MP:
“The top tip I always say to people is: don’t click the bloody blue link.
“We want Australians to have a safe and stress-free time over the holiday period and following these simple steps will go a long way to protecting themselves from scams.
“Scammers are heartless criminals and take advantage of the generosity and trust of people – we encourage everyone to educate themselves and remain vigilant.
“The government is doing its bit to make it harder and harder for scammers to target Australians.”
