If that unbelievable holiday bargain or too-perfect TikTok find seems tempting, experts suggest to pause and think.
Scammers hit Australians hard during holiday seasons, with one in five reporting being scammed at least once in this time, according to a recent report.
On average, these Australians have lost $445 during the holiday season, with 4 per cent of victims losing more than $5,000, according to the new findings from cybersecurity firm McAfee, which analysed data from October to early November.
The company also sells cybersecurity products.
This year, the numbers might get worse, as 89 per cent of Australians have reported that ads from unfamiliar retailers are exposing them to more scams and fake websites.
Scams to watch
McAfee highlights four main holiday scams: fake retail websites and counterfeit deal pages, scams on TikTok and social media, delivery and shipping text frauds, and gift card and account verification scams.
Online brand impersonation is another type of scam that targets online shoppers, in which scammers copy a brand's identity to deceive customers.
McAfee's survey of Australians shows 36 per cent have abandoned a purchase because something didn’t feel right.
Fake versions of these sites frequently feature stolen product images, similar design layouts, authentic-sounding customer service language, and holiday sale graphics designed to encourage shoppers to enter payment details, according to the cybersecurity firm.
The report shows the most impersonated luxury brands are Coach, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Rolex, and Gucci, while the most impersonated mainstream brands are Apple, Nintendo, Samsung, Disney, and Steam.
'Most believable tricks we’ve ever seen'
These scams are becoming more convincing as artificial intelligence advances.
Compared to last year, 60 per cent of Australians are now more worried about AI scams, and 38 per cent reported they or someone they know has "encountered holiday-sale scams that use deepfakes or fake celebrity endorsements".
"Scammers have always taken advantage of the holiday rush to exploit people looking for deals," Tyler McGee, head of the Asia-Pacific and Japan region at McAfee, said.
"But AI has made it easier for them to copy trusted brands with speed and accuracy that is hard to spot."
How to spot online scams
But there are still tips that can help shoppers avoid being scammed.
According to Scamwatch, if an offer is too good to be true, that might be a sign of a potential scam, and if the seller lacks terms and conditions, an ABN, or a privacy policy on their website, you should be cautious.
McAfee also warns that pressure to act quickly, requests for payment through gift cards or wire transfers, requests for personal information, or insisting that you stay on the line or remain silent are all "classic scam signals".
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