Black Friday sales a prime target for scammers, so be prepared

The looming Black Friday sales and holiday season is a key target for criminals. Experts share their tips to defend yourself.

Busy pre-Christmas shoppers are key targets for scammers. Picture: iStock

The biggest and busiest shopping season of the year starts in one week, and scammers are sharpening their digital weapons to take advantage of consumers’ stress and lower attention to detail.

Millions of dollars already have been lost by Australians in online shopping scams this year, but there are ways to protect yourself.

Consumer cyber safety brand Norton’s Asia-Pacific managing director, Mark Gorrie, says busy schedules and the rush to grab discounts make shoppers less vigilant.

“People are more at risk of being scammed in the lead up to Christmas due to heightened online shopping activity, which scammers exploit with fake deals and phishing schemes,” he says.

“Scams to look out for include fake retail websites, counterfeit gift card offers, and phishing emails pretending to be shipping updates or exclusive sales.

“Scammers also target buy-now-pay-later services and social media ads with fraudulent links.”

SLOW THINKING

CommBank chief behavioural scientist Will Mailer says people can protect themselves by being aware of the difference between fast thinking and slow thinking.

“For example, if you’ve bought something online, you may be expecting a message from the retailer, a courier, or your bank,” he says.

“Scammers are aware of this and time their messages to seem legitimate, meaning you may not feel the need to switch to slower thinking, and pay that extra attention.

“Create simple rules ahead of time that prompt you to slow down in the moments you know are higher risk, like the holiday season. This can be as easy as having a simple rule in place to get a glass of water or make a cup of tea before taking next step.”

Australian Payments Plus CEO Lynn Kraus says there are ways to become scam savvy and stop yourself becoming another statistic.

“Know the warning signs, know the recipient, and if it doesn’t seem right or you feel uncomfortable, “simply walk away from the sale”, Kraus says.

“Better to be safe than sorry,” she says.

“In some cases, scammers take advantage of a trusted name like PayID, but scams leveraging the PayID name are easy to spot.

“For instance, PayID is a feature in your online banking, so you or the buyer will never be contacted by PayID directly, whether by email, text, or call.”

NOT ON MY WATCH

Beauty technician Liseth Hernandez uses PayID when billing clients to be certain money is going to the correct person.

“I’ve had very stressful past experiences of helping clients chase banks for lost money after paying my invoice, because one digit was entered incorrectly by them and the wrong bank account was paid,” she says.

“There are lots of scams about, and some of my clients are older and more vulnerable. I can sleep at night knowing they won’t be taken advantage of on my watch.”

Norton’s Gorrie says Australians are expected to spend over $6bn across next week’s four-day Black Friday shopping weekend.

Beauty technician Liseth Hernandez

“What’s concerning is that one in 16 shoppers admit they would take risks, like purchasing from questionable websites or third-party sellers, just to snag a bargain,” he says.

“It’s important to pause and think before giving out personal information or making a purchase that seems too good to be true.”

Norton saw a 53 per cent jump in malicious ad attacks during last year’s holiday shopping season, and Gorrie says social media ads can be a “gateway for scammers”.

He says shoppers should avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails, texts and social media messages. “If an offer catches your eye, search for the official site directly.”

Avoid storing credit card details on websites. “Skip saving payment info – share as little personal information as possible when shopping online,” Gorrie says.

PROTECT YOURSELF

• Watch out for fake stores.

• Beware of online marketplace scams.

• Use secure payment options and shop on private networks, not public Wi-Fi.

• Have different passwords for different shopping sites.

• Use software and apps to fortify your defences.

Source: Norton