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Common Scams to Watch Out For This Festive Season

As per the article on Commbank.

Find out about some of the common scams during the holiday season and ways you may be able to help protect yourself against them.

  • Scammers try to exploit our festive moods during the holiday season with tricks like ‘too good to be true’ offers and fake goods and services.
  • When shopping online, look out for imposter websites imitating legitimate businesses.
  • Book directly with hotels and airlines to avoid travel scams.
  • Watch out for texts or emails relating to parcel deliveries – scammers pose as Australia Post or other delivery partners asking you to pay or provide information before receiving your delivery. Don't click on any links and contact the company directly to confirm.
  • Similarly, scammers send texts or emails to solicit fraudulent donations. If you want to give, find the charity's contact details and donate directly. 
  • If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank, change your PINs and passwords, and report the scam via the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

When our focus shifts to gift-giving, online shopping, and travel, scammers can take advantage. Here’s how to keep your celebrations bright, cheerful, and safe. It’s true that online fraud is a year-round problem, but statistics tell us that opportunistic scammers seize on the chance to exploit our cheer around the holidays. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Christmas is a time of opportunity for scammers. While most people are thinking about buying gifts or seeing loved ones, scammers are busy targeting their next victim. Here’s how to stay vigilant and protect yourself against scams this holiday season.

Online Shopping Scams
As summer holidays approach, technology connects us with family, helps us research festive wish lists, and makes the burden of Christmas shopping a breeze. Unfortunately, more time online makes it easier for scammers to slide under our radar with websites that mimic authentic retailers and online marketplaces. The products may be non-existent, but the repercussions aren’t – a purchase can allow scammers to hack the credit or debit card details you provide to take your money.

Flights and Accommodation Travel Scams
The rise in online holiday and flight bookings is feeding a spike in travel scams with fake hotel bookings and non-existent flight bargains, costing Australians millions of dollars. Avoid scams this summer by booking with a hotel or airline directly. Or confirm the website you use is legitimate by checking that the website’s ABN is actually registered to the named trader – you can do this for free through the Australian Business Register’s ABN Lookup portal.

Scamwatch warns Australians to be wary of unusually low-priced goods and requests for payment up-front via money order or international wire transfer.

Parcel Delivery Scams
At this time of year, millions of gifts are sent and received, and scammers make money from fake parcel delivery services. Usually, you get an email or text seemingly from Australia Post or another well-known delivery service. It will say your package couldn’t be delivered and request you click on a link and give personal details for re-delivery. Stop, Check, Reject – really helps. Don’t click on the link or return the call. Instead, look up the delivery company’s details yourself and contact their customer service line directly to check if the message is genuine. And if you do click on the link, provide bank details, and then realise the message is fake, contact your bank straight away.

Charity Scams
It’s the season of giving, and plenty of hardworking charities appeal for donations. Unscrupulous scammers prey on people’s generosity, so be wary of emails, texts, or calls asking for money that might look like they’re from well-known charities. If you want to donate, find the charity’s website or phone number yourself. That way, you’ll know your donation has reached the right place and that your credit card or bank details won’t be misused. Be sceptical of unsolicited calls or texts, don’t let anyone coax you into sharing personal details without verifying their legitimacy, and steer clear of clicking on suspicious links. If you’re ever in doubt about the legitimacy of a charity, contact them directly after verifying their details with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Charity Register

What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Scammed
Contact your bank. If you, or someone you know, is a CommBank customer and has been scammed (or thing you've been scammed, call the bank immediately. Learn about CommBank’s security features and services

Report the Scam
Report the scam via the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Reports may be referred to the police for investigation.

Change Your Passwords and PINs
Do this straight away if you suspect your security has been compromised. Change these regularly anyway as a preventative measure.

Seek Support
Contact Idcare.

Read more from CommBank about the latest scams, fraud and security alerts\

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