Consumer watchdog warns of holiday season scams

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has cautioned Australians about scammers “[fleecing] people of their money or personal information” during the holiday season.

According to the regulator, people should be particularly wary of online shopping scams where scammers “set up fake online stores or post goods for sale in buy‑swap-sell groups or online classified sites to trick people into buying items that don’t exist.”

More than 8,700 online scams have been reported thus far in 2018, costing Australians almost $3 million.

ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said: “We love snagging a great deal online for a loved one’s Christmas present and the idea of a bargain holiday is perfect for many after a long year. But don’t fall for it.”

“Be sceptical about an online store you haven’t used before. Do some research to see if they’re legitimate and don’t be fooled by big discounts.”

The ACCC is also warning of travel scams where scammers mislead people into believing they have won a free holiday or an irresistible travel deal.

This type of scam has cost nearly $135,000 this year.

“With travel deals, call the accommodation provider directly, for example the cruise line or hotel, to check if the deal is legitimate,” Ms Rickard said.

“If you see a seemingly great deal on an accommodation rental website like Airbnb, make sure you only communicate and pay through the official site to avoid getting stung by a fake listing.”

The third common scam is parcel delivery scams designed to get people to download malware onto their computers or to provide personal information by “[asking them] to print off a label, do a survey, claim a prize, or view the status of your delivery by clicking on a link or downloading an attachment.”

Around $31,000 has been lost to this type of scam in 2018.

“We’re all expecting parcels this time of year but be careful about online links and never download attachments. If you’re wondering if a delivery notice is legitimate, check the tracking number at the Australia Post or other delivery company website, or call them directly using a number you find from an online search or the phone book,” Ms Rickard said.

ACCC deputy chair also noted the “massive influx and money lost to tax scams”.

“In November we received 7,500 reports of these scams and $400,000 was reported lost,” she said.

“This isn’t a usual holiday season scam, however a lot of people are getting calls from scammers pretending to be from the tax office or the police and threatening them with arrest over unpaid tax debts.

“This is a scam. If you ever get a call or email containing threats like this, hang up the phone or delete the email.”

This month, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) also warned the public about scammers claiming to be from ASIC in connection with Luxembourg Offshore Banking, also known as LUXOSB Limited.