Key Points
- Australians are being warned about shopping scams throughout the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.
- The ACCC said it has already removed or limited access to thousands of scams.
- Australia Post said parcel delivery scams are also common throughout the holiday period.
Australians are being warned to remain vigilant and look out for scams during this weekend's sales.
The official date for Black Friday this year is 29 November, but many businesses have already been running sales for several weeks — and opportunistic criminals have also been busy.
The National Anti-Scam Centre said it has removed or limited access to thousands of investment, phishing, and online shopping scam websites this year.
Catriona Lowe, deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said many shopping scams are circulating throughout the holiday season, and any suspicious websites should be reported.
"I would remind everyone to be extra wary of online shopping scams, and if you are offered a product or service at a price that seems too good to be true, then it probably is," she said.
"The longer a scam website is active, the more legitimate it may seem and the greater the risk there is for people to lose money."
Online shopping scams account for 50 per cent of the fraudulent or malicious websites taken down in the past three months, according to the ACCC.
Black Friday is a busy time for shopping both in store and online. Source: AAP / Con Chronis
New research by the postal service found 75 per cent of respondents believe scams are becoming more convincing, and many said scams are harder to distinguish when it comes to texts, calls and emails.
Seventy per cent reported delivery and package scams as the most common. Parcel delivery scams may reference real company names, which can cause confusion for recipients.
Australia Post executive general manager Enterprise Services Michael McNamara said many shoppers are eager to take advantage of sales ahead of the holiday season, particularly due to cost of living pressures.
"Unfortunately, this can lead to an increase in scam attempts related to deliveries," McNamara said.
"Scammers often use fake parcel notifications to trick people into sharing personal or financial information, so it’s crucial that customers carefully check the authenticity of any communication they receive about deliveries."
McNamara reminded shoppers not to click on links or provide personal details unless certain of the source. He also suggested using apps from trusted retailers and service providers for information about deliveries.
How to spot a shopping scam
The ACCC has flagged several tips for spotting potential online shopping scams. They include:
- Products being offered at an extremely low price and appearing 'too good to be true'.
- An online seller having no terms and conditions, ABN or privacy policy on their website.
- Receiving an invoice for a product you have not purchased.
- Being told to pay by money order, a pre-loaded card, or paying to different PayIDs or accounts.
- The payment to the person or business not matching the identity of the account holder.
How to avoid Black Friday scams
- Stop and confirm you are buying from a real store, not a fake website. Be wary of social media stories, very low prices, and fake ads or reviews.
- Check the company's official website to make sure it is authentic, and check for privacy policy, terms and conditions, contact details, and a secure payment service.
- Act quickly if something feels wrong and report suspicious websites to Scamwatch.
