Three ways you can protect yourself from scams this holiday season
We know that in the lead up to and after Christmas, Australians will be spending time shopping and online.
But it’s also a time when we unwind with family and friends, relax at the beach, and put our feet up.
Unfortunately scammers won’t be taking a holiday like us. They often look to take advantage when they think our guard is down.
That’s why it’s critical Australians stay vigilant to scams by knowing what to look out for.
Scammers will use any means available to try to trick people, including phone calls, sms texts, and email.
Here are three key ways people can help protect themselves:
- Be cautious with suspicious emails and texts.
- Don't click on links, open attachments, or reply to messages from unknown or suspicious senders.
- Verify the sender's email address and look for any grammatical errors or unusual requests.
- Legitimate organisations won't call or text you asking for sensitive information.
2. Be mindful of websites you visit.
- Double-check web addresses before clicking and use search engine tools like "About this result" to learn more about the website.
- Be wary of unusual formatting and look for clear contact information and customer support details.
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Listen to warnings from built-in security features on Android and Chrome.
3. If you think you've been scammed, take immediate action.
- Change your passwords for all affected accounts and contact your bank and other relevant financial institutions.
- Report the scam to the authorities, such as the National Anti Scam Centre.
- You can also report to us content on our platforms about which you are concerned, including using in-product reporting functionality.
Scams have a devastating impact on people’s lives, and can cause real-world harm.
Keeping people safe from scammers is core to the work of many teams at Google.
It’s important we all work together to take the fight to scammers, and have a safe and restful holiday.
