December 1, 2020
Police are warning shoppers to beware of online scams in the lead-up to Christmas.
The Financial and Cyber Crime Group said scammers often set up fake online stores and social media pages, claiming to sell popular items at incredibly low prices.
“If a product’s advertised price seems too good to be true, there’s a very good chance it is.”
Other tell-tale signs of an online scam include a website with minimal information about delivery, returns or contact details, and requests to pay via unsecure and unusual methods.
Detective Inspector Vince Byrnes said scammers often set up a fake online store to trick shoppers into buying stock they don’t have.
“It is best to use online retailers or brands that you are aware of, trust and that offer buyer protections,” Det Insp Byrnes said.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again and again: be very wary of shopping websites that don’t use secure payment methods and offer big discounts for direct payment into accounts.
“And please, never pay anything via cryptocurrency.”
- To learn more about scams, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au or the Queensland Police Service’s R U in Control campaign at www.police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/r-u-in-control
