Online shoppers are being warned to be on alert for fake websites and scams ahead of Mother’s Day

Lulu Adams was scammed after she bought a new pair of shoes. Experts including Revolut have now warned how you can spot a scam ahead of Mother’s Day as shoppers lose $754 on average.

Experts are warning online shoppers to be aware of scams ahead of Mother’s Day after 6.7 million Aussies fell victim and didn’t report it.

New research from Sell Securely – a software platform built to protect Australians from online scams – found an alarming amount of scams being underreported across the country.

More than half of Australians have now been scammed, with a staggering $5.08 billion dollars lost and not reported to the authorities.

The report also found that 6.7 million Australians have been scammed and didn’t report it, with the amount lost averaging at $754 per person.

Founder and director of Sell Securely Rob Neely.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost an estimated $2 billion to scams in 2021, and $3.15 billion in 2022.

However, founder and director of Sell Securely Rob Neely said with only 35 per cent reporting scams to police, there needs to be more discussion around a solution to the rising issue.

“Whenever there is a big buying occasion such as Mother’s Day, we see the instances of scams increase, so it is really important for Australians to be vigilant particularly when buying and selling privately,” Mr Neely said.

“Government departments continue to report on the issue, an issue that is having an impact both here and internationally.”

Lulu Adams is one of millions of Aussies who was scammed after she bought a new pair of shoes on a fraudulent site.

Lulu Adams is one of millions of Aussies who was scammed after she bought a new pair of shoes on a fraudulent site.

“Because I’ve been searching for loafer online so much, I was starting to get targeted on Instagram and Facebook with ads containing images of shoes similar to the ones I’d been looking for,” Ms Adams said.

“It was pretty late at night so I was fairly tired, but I saw the exact pair of loafers I’d put in my shopping basket on another site at 50 per cent of the price I was going to buy them for.

“The ad said they were the last pair available, and that 3 others had them in their shopping card, so I obviously clicked in a panicked rush and went through what I thought was a legit check-out process.”

New research from Sell Securely found an alarming amount of scams being underreported across the country. Picture: iStock

After receiving a confirmation email, the 25-year-old noticed something was wrong when her shoes didn’t arrive three weeks later.

“I started googling and reading on Reddit about the merchant but couldn’t find anything. So I went back to the site and decided to click around,” she said.

“All the links on the site were inactive web pages which had me then learn it was a scam. “Thankfully I had paid using a one-time use virtual Revolut card which basically meant my actual card details weren’t entered into the site so they couldn’t be stolen for further activity.”

Revolut refunded her money within five business days.

Head of financial crime at tech company Revolut Australia Nelson Yiannakou said shoppers should expect to see an increase in cyber scams in the lead up to Mother’s Day.

Head of financial crime at tech company Revolut Australia Nelson Yiannakou.

“Consumers are often euphoric about the special deals on offer, particularly when under time pressure to buy an item, and may inadvertently and unknowingly click on the scam phishing site or social media ad, rather than the genuine merchant,”

“We’ve noticed a significant change in the level of sophistication and victim manipulation over the past few years.

“Cyber crime is no different to regular crime in that the longer it exists, the more refined and advanced it becomes.”

HOW TO SPOT A SCAM (Advice from Revolut):

● Purchase scams are one of the most common. This is when a fake or non-existent item is advertised for sale.

● If you see products and services heavily discounted from their retail price, then take the time to investigate the site / merchant before checking out.

● If you’re asked to pay by bank transfer instead of an online payment or card transaction, we recommend not proceeding with the payment before confirming the legitimacy of the sale.

● If you’re put up against time pressure. Stop, breathe, think. Scammers will often create a sense of urgency and euphoria so shoppers become anxious to not miss out and subsequently let their guard down.

● Scammers will often counterfeit receipts and invoices. Always read these carefully and look for telltale signs of forgery. These include spelling errors, poor grammar, and unusual contact details — such as the seller’s address and email.

● If something sounds or seems too good to be true, then it usually is.

Originally published as Online shoppers are being warned to be on alert for fake websites and scams ahead of Mother’s Day