Let’s talk about scams this festive season

Just like that, another festive season is upon us. Despite all our very best intentions, it feels like we blinked and it’s already time for end of year festivities.

For many of us, festive gatherings like Xmas lunch with the family, or after work nibbles with friends, is the only time we get to see extended family members and catch-up with old friends. It’s a good time to get up to speed on what’s happening in your loved one’s lives, but an even better time to check-in on your loved one’s scam awareness.

First things first, even the most tech savvy people need a refresher every so often. Visit the Scamwatch website or Instagram to make sure you’re up to date with scams impacting Australians.

Now that you’re all up-to-date, here’s a couple of ways you can slide a scam-related health check into your next get-together:

1. “That present looks suspiciously like a box of chocolates... Speaking of suspicious, when was the last time you checked your bank account for any suspicious activity?”
2. “Did you see that text that’s going around pretending to be…?”
3. “You should’ve seen this ad I saw online, it was way too good to be true.”
4. “Have you received any strange messages from Facebook Marketplace? This one time someone messaged me asking…”
5. “That last fruit mince pie is like my bank account, it has my name all over it. Which reminds me, when was the last time you updated your bank account login details?”
6. “How frequently do you change your passwords? I read somewhere you should do it every three months.”
7. “Did you see the story on the news about that fraudster trying to…?”
8. “Have you seen this security feature in the new Apple iPhone update?”

By the way, if you’re the unofficial family tech person, we’ve also put together a family support checklist to help you at your next family gathering.

Sometimes simply talking about an encounter you had online with a dodgy website or social media ad can encourage your loved ones to stay vigilant online. Always remember to stop and think to help protect yourself and your money – and remind your family and friends to do the same.

If you or a loved one have fallen victim to a scam you can take the following steps:

1. Act quickly – Contact the bank or card provider if they’ve sent money or shared their banking or credit card details. It may be possible to stop or reverse a transaction, or even close the bank account.
2. Get help to recover – If personal information has been given to a scammer, visit IDCARE, Australia’s not-for-profit national identity and cyber support service. IDCARE can help you to develop a specific response plan to the situation, and support you through the process.
3. Talk about it – Report the scam to Scamwatch and take the time to warn friends and family about these scams.
4. Stay up-to-date – Follow Scamwatch on Instagram, and consider following your card provider too. Like us, they may publish warnings on social media about active scams.

It’s very easy to get complacent when it comes to scams, and people often think they would never fall victim to one. By constantly educating yourself – and your friends and family – on the dangers of different scam activity, you can help make it harder for scammers to successfully steal information and money.