Shoppers warned to be alert for scams during Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales

Aussie consumers are urged to stay vigilant when shopping online over the upcoming festive sales period to avoid being scammed.

Consumers are being warned to stay vigilant when shopping online over the upcoming Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales period to avoid falling victim to a scam.

Shoppers are projected to spend an eye-watering $12.7 billion at the sales next weekend, according to research by ING, cementing its place as the biggest shopping event on the Aussie retail calendar.

As shoppers hunt for a bargain, scammers will be doing their best to swindle a share – particularly for technology and clothing items, the two most popular sales categories – putting shoppers at risk of not getting what they paid for.

According to Scamwatch’s Scam Statistics dashboard, about 12,400 online shopping scams have been reported so far in 2024, netting a loss of more than $3.4 million.

Last year, banking group ING found 1.4 million Aussies had previously been scammed during the festive sales period, “which shows just how prevalent these types of scams may be”, ING’s head of consumer and market insights Matt Bowen told news.com.au.

“As we head into the Black Friday sales period, it’s important to stay vigilant to common scams that could turn savings into nightmares, especially as many scammers look to capitalise on Aussies hunting for a good deal,” Mr Bowen said.

Shoppers have been warned to stay vigilant during the upcoming Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales period to avoid being scammed. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Connolly

While cyber security and organised scamming is a “significant challenge” for consumers and businesses year-round, the Australian Retailers Association chief industry affairs officer Fleur Brown said it can be exacerbated by the sales period.

“We know that increased online activity comes with an increased risk of cybercrime,” Ms Brown told news.com.au.

“As always when buying online, it’s important to do your research.

“We advise shoppers to stick to well-known retailers on websites you trust, to use secure payment methods, to avoid obvious ‘too good to be true’ deals, and to refrain from clicking on suspicious links in emails or texts,” she said.

Discerning the difference between a good discount and one that’s too good to be true, can be easier said than done, according to Westpac’s cash and transactional banking managing director Mandy Rutherford.

Scammers can go to extreme lengths to make their sites look like the genuine online stores of popular Australian brands – meaning they may use sophisticated designs and layouts, stolen logos, and even a “.com.au” domain name and stolen Australian Business Number (ABN).

Many of these websites offer luxury items at very low prices. Sometimes, shoppers will receive the item they paid for but it will be fake, or they may receive nothing at all.

Telltale signs of scam websites. Picture: ScamWatch

Ms Rutherford urged consumers to “plan your purchases and pause before you buy, to ensure that they are within your budget and you are buying from a reputable retailer”.

Westpac also advised shoppers to think before they buy anything online to ensure they’re dealing with a reputable retailer, especially if the purchases they make are over social media or online marketplaces.

It also suggested they check for red flags such as incorrect spelling, the seller’s reputation and reviews, and to search for a photo of the item you are buying on Google beforehand and use secure payment services.

ING’s Mr Bowen offered similar advice, urging shoppers to verify any deals via official channels and always check email addresses for legitimacy.

“Stay alert for fake websites and remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Mr Bowen said.

‘Stay alert for fake websites and remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.’ Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Scamwatch encourages Australians to adopt its “stop, check, protect” process to help them identify and avoid scams.

• Stop: Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure. Say no, hang up, delete.

• Check: Scammers pretend to be from organisations you know and trust. If you’re not sure, call the official phone number of the organisation to check

• Protect: If a scammer has taken your money or personal details, contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam. Ask them to stop any transactions. Report scams to the digital platform where they were encountered to assist with removal of the offending content. Report scams to scamwatch.gov.au when you see them.

This year, Black Friday falls on November 29, with Cyber Monday occurring on December 2.