It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for scammers, as Australian shoppers gear up to spend more than $35 billion on retail trade in December 2024.
Bendigo Bank’s Head of Customer and Threat Protection, Jason Gordon, has delivered a timely reminder on the importance of staying safe while shopping for loved ones. “With the expected increase in spending over the festive season, it’s crucial for shoppers to remain vigilant against potential scams.”
“Most of us are doing at least some of that shopping online, with eight out of ten Australian households shopping online in 2023, it pays to be extra scam aware,” Mr Gordon said. Bendigo Bank’s top three tips to stay scam-safe this festive season are:
1. Don’t get caught by phishing emails
More than 80,000 phishing scams have been reported to ScamWatch so far this year. The holidays are a busy time, and scams catch us out when our guard is down – particularly phishing scams. Look out for unsolicited emails, messages, or calls requesting personal or financial information. At this time of year, these could look like missing or undelivered parcel emails or texts. Always verify the legitimacy of the communication with the people or business sending them before sharing any sensitive data. Never share your passwords!
2. Look out for fake online shopping sites
Scammers may set up fake online storefronts selling desirable items at attractive prices, enticing Christmas shoppers to make payments to snap up the deal. Unfortunately, these stores usually sell fake products or simply sell nothing at all. Scammers are known to forge legitimacy by promoting their stores on social media, only to disappear a few weeks later and never deliver on sales or provide refunds. To avoid falling victim, do thorough research into companies you don’t recognise. Search their ABN, check for reviews online, and search for scam alerts on ScamWatch if something doesn’t feel right.
3. Be wary of impersonation scams
With more money being spent at this time of year, scammers might try to impersonate trusted organisations, with criminals often posing as cyber security or fraud specialists from banks. And because it’s also a time of giving, scammers may also see this as an opportunity to target people’s generosity with charity scams. Texts, emails and websites may pose as people or organisations you trust, so if you’re not sure, hang up, don’t reply, or don’t engage.