Although Mother’s Day will be different this year with restrictions on how we celebrate, don’t let scammers appeal to your emotions and cloud your judgement. Ahead of Mother’s Day, the Financial and Cyber Crime Group are reminding those online shopping to be on the lookout for these common scams reported:
Fake Floral Websites:
Flowers are the most purchased item for Mother’s Day. Use only official sites of local and well known florists. If you’re unsure, research the company’s ratings, reviews and history before making any payments.
Emails offering Mother’s Day gifts
Be wary of emails advertising flowers, jewellery, shoes or clothing at vastly discounted prices. You may end up paying for items that you never receive, or links in the email could be a way for malicious software to be downloaded, compromising your device or stealing your identity.
Free Gift Cards
Be sceptical of well-known retailers purporting to offer unbelievably steep discounts and free gift cards through advertisements and posts on social media. Don’t purchase gift cards from pop-up ads or messages on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Always go to the website of the retailer from whom you are buying the card.
Fake E Cards:
Watch out for emails containing links that may install malicious software on your computer. Make sure the email is from a name you recognise. These malicious emails may have a subject line that infers a personal sentiment ( “Your children sent you an ecard!” or similar).
Whenever shopping online, make sure you are using only secure sites, indicated by the https:// in their web address. If the address begins with https://, steer clear. This is an unsecured site, and your information could be compromised.
Before you click on a link or part with your money, ask yourself R u In Control?
To learn more about scams, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au or the Queensland Police Service’s R U in Control campaign at www.police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/r-u-in-control.
