You might be scanning for new fits to wear to Christmas parties, new electronic gadgets to try, or presents for nephews or nieces that they won’t break in 30 minutes (unlikely).

But there’s one thing that often doesn’t cross our minds during online shopping - scammers.

And lately there have been more scams going round during the holidays than the ongoing Avril Lavigne replacement rumour.

But there’s one thing that often doesn’t cross our minds during online shopping - scammers.

And lately there have been more scams going round during the holidays than the ongoing Avril Lavigne replacement rumour.

Get this: Aussies have lost nearly $3.1 billion - yes, BILLION to online shopping scams in 2022. That’s an 80% increase on the total losses recorded in 2021.

The real amount is probably higher than this because approximately 30% of victims don’t report their scams to anyone (yep, they’re just too ashamed!).

And the cost of these scams isn’t just the dollar amount, but also the emotional distress caused.

Scams in Australia

The ACCC’s Scamwatch division received more than 239,237 scam reports in 2022. Part of this is because scammers are using new technology and more creative ways of deceiving people.

Older Australians and people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are much more likely to be victims of financial loss through scams.

How can I stay safe?

There are a few things you can do to stay safe these holidays:

1. Keep your wits about you‍

When shopping online or receiving calls/texts from random numbers, just be aware that you could be getting scammed. Take a pause before giving money or personal information away.

The ACCC reckons if it looks too good to be true (like the chance to win $1 million just for clicking a button) it probably is (unfortunately). ‍

2. Keep your details secure

If you’re throwing out bills and important documents, make sure to shred them (or at least tear them up) first, and be careful about how much of your identity you put out on your socials. 

Scammers love to scavenge personal information from social media. 

They can use it to guess passwords, create targeting phishing messages and create other types of online scams

You definitely don’t need your passport ID number - or your driver’s licence (soz, Olivia Rodrigo) on your Insta. ‍

3. Don’t use 1234 as a password or password as your password

We know, we know...it’s tempting. But, use strong passwords (aka a mix of upper and lower case, numbers and symbols...and definitely don’t use the same password for every account and profile).

You can consider a password manager, which generates strong passwords for all your accounts and stores them safely.

4. Keep your devices secure

This is a big one when it comes to online shopping. Never share your passwords with others and always use password protection. Some online stores might offer two-factor authentication to secure your account. 

You should also password protect your WiFi, and be wary about using public WiFi to access things like your mobile banking.

An online store URL should always begin with ‘https’ and a closed padlock icon in the URL bar. This means that the communications between your device and the shopping site are encrypted (can’t be read by someone else).

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What do I do if I think I've been scammed?

You should contact your bank or financial institution straight away. They might be able to stop a transaction or close your account if the details have been compromised. 

If your credit card was billed fraudulently, contact your credit provider. They might be able to perform a ‘charge back’ - aka, reverse the transaction. 

Then, report the scam to the authorities. Use the ACCC’s guide which tells you where to report the incident depending on the type of incident that occurred.

Once you’ve done all that, go back and change all your online passwords. Tedious, we know...but it could save you thousands of dollars - and give you peace of mind.

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