The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has warned of possible Christmas misery for anyone who does not protect themselves from online shopping fraud.
As part of its rolling Act Now, Stay Secure cyber-security campaign, the ACSC has produced an online security shopping checklist for Australians to use ahead of the festive season.
Its message was reinforced by Assistant Minister for Defence, Andrew Hastie who said in the lead-up to Black Friday and Christmas season sales, Australians must be alert to the cybercriminals seeking to steal Christmas joy.
“We all love browsing online for a bargain and it’s a convenient way for many of us to do our Christmas shopping at this time of year, but it is too easy to be taken in by fraudulent deals,” Mr Hastie said.
“Last financial year, the ACSC received over 11,000 reports of online shopping cybercrime, making up about 17 per cent of all reports to the ACSC’s ReportCyber website during this period,” he said.
Mr Hastie said businesses were already recognising the ACSC’s warnings, with the Australian Retailers Association partnering with the ACSC to promote secure online shopping.
The Minister said Australians were expected to spend more than $58 billion on pre-Christmas shopping this year.
“Australians can’t be complacent, with those aged 25 to 45 making up nearly half of all victims of online shopping fraud,” he said.
“Watch out for cybercriminals who use tricks like selling products that don’t exist, impersonating well-known brands but offering spectacular sales, or asking for personal and payment information they don’t need.”
Victims of online shopping cybercrime should immediately report it to authorities via ReportCyber and contact their bank or financial institution.
The ACSC’s shopping checklist can be accessed at this PS News link.
