Christmas scam

It's Christmas present buying season and people are buying more online these days.
But, be warned - the online scammers at hard at it.
Be vigilant in your online purchases.
Here's a cution from Scamwatch ...

Scamwatch is warning Christmas shoppers to be cautious when looking online for gifts. During and after Christmas Scamwatch experiences an increase in reports of fake online sellers looking to cash in on the festive season shopping spree.

This year, scammers are using labels like Pandora and Michael Kors to trick consumers who are looking online to find designer items at a cheaper price.

Scammers set up fake websites that look just like genuine online stores. They copy websites of legitimate companies and designer labels and may even pretend to be Australian-based by using a ‘.com.au’ domain.

The biggest tip-off that a website is a scam is the way they ask for payment. Scammers often ask you to pay by wire transfer, pre-loaded debit cards or even bitcoins. These payment methods are not secure and are rarely used by legitimate retailers. If you send your money this way, it’s just like sending cash - you’re unlikely to receive the goods or get your money back.

If you’re shopping online this Christmas, do your research. Read reviews or comments and look out for irregular payment methods.