Criminals are out for your money, and with Black Friday sales kicking up, it makes for a scam opportunity consumers could fall for.
The last week before December kicks in may well be the perfect time to consider gifts thanks to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, but it could also be the time to fall for a scam.
Any time is the time for that, it seems, and with scam losses somewhere between the millions and billions in Australia (depending on the department you talk to), it’s no wonder that there’s so much conversation on buyer beware. Specifically, to beware of being a buyer between legitimate deals and the ones that are a lot less.
For that last category, shopping scams are a problem, something Tesserent Cyber Solutions is warning against this year, particularly with scammers becoming more clued into what consumers are aware of.
During the Black Friday shopping season, the problem becomes especially important to take note of, simply because buyers are more eagle-eyed for deals, and scammers are all too ready to take advantage of that.
“When shopping online, go directly to the retailer’s website and don’t use links in email,” said Mark Jones, Senior Partner at Tesserent.
“Phishing emails are becoming increasingly difficult to detect, in part because criminals are now using AI to create more convincing emails,” he said.
Convincing messages can lead to fake websites, something that’s all too easy to set up these days, and could lead you sticking your details in a form, only to have those details stolen.
Using a proper card handling service such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal can help prevent nefarious sellers from seeing your card details in the first place, so be aware if the buyer you’re buying from only has a spot for credit card details, and no other common buyer technology.
Between 2022 and 2023, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported over 11 percent of Australians experienced a scam or card fraud, divided between online impersonation, identity theft, scams, and bank and credit card fraud.
In short, it’s happening, and while the ABS reports some of the details, they are likely not all of them.
However, the numbers paint a picture suggesting scammers are making serious money against the country, and with the Australian Retailers Association forecasting over $11 billion spent on gifts this year, it presents an opportunity for scammers to make even more.
Scam attempts could include fake delivery notices — a known and consistent scammer approach — as well as deals sent by text or email that are a little too cheap to be real.
“If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is,” said Jones. “Be wary particularly when looking or clicking through on ads on social media.”
“Trust your instincts. If you’re not sure – move on. Even if you’re not certain why something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably dodgy,” he said.
