The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has reminded shoppers and retailers to be careful about the information they share online this festive season.
Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner, Angelene Falk said that with almost three quarters of Australian households now regularly shopping online, consumers should take practical steps to keep their personal information safe.
“Consumers need to be aware of the personal information they share online,” Ms Ms Falk said.
“Using secure shopping sites and strong passwords can help keep your personal and financial information safe and prevent identity theft.”
She said the OAIC had released tips for consumers when shopping online.
These included:
* Don’t click on links in emails and text messages asking for personal information;
* Use strong and unique passwords;
* Check the website being used is secure by looking for the padlock symbol and ‘https’ at the start of its domain name;
* Only provide required personal information when completing online forms and skip fields marked as optional.
* Immediately contact your financial institution if you find unfamiliar or suspicious activity in your transaction history.
Ms Falk said it was important to remember that every time a loyalty card is swiped or access discounts or sale offers signed up to, consumers were handing over information that could help others form a picture about one’s identity.
“Businesses collect this data because it’s of great value to them and so individuals need to make sure that they’re aware of what they’re trading when they hand over their personal information,” Ms Falk said.
“Check privacy policies and ask why information is being collected, and how it will be used before making a decision.”
The OAIC’s warning came as Scamwatch announced last week that losses from online shopping scams had reached more than $4 million so far this year – well in excess of the 2018 total figure of $3.28 million.
Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Delia Rickard said scammers often took advantage of shoppers at this time of year.
“Reported losses have tripled over the last three years and it is concerning that losses from this year are already so high,” Ms Rickard said.
