Three common holiday season scams have been brought to attention to protect Australians this Christmas holiday. 

“Scammers often try to take advantage of people during the busy Christmas period and prey on our vulnerabilities at this time of year,” The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said. 

They emphasised that scammers take advantage of those who look for a good deal on a family holiday, buy presents from online stores, and expect presents from someone through the post. 
Through travel scams, scammers trick their victims into thinking they won a travel prize, or found a good deal on a travel package. However, in 2017, up to $86,000 was lost to this scam, with more than 1750 reports. 

Online shopping scams is another popular scam. Scammers usually set up fake online or auction sites, with good discounts and present items. However, more than $1.3 million were lost to this scam in the last 12 months, with more than 6440 reports. 

Another popular scam included the parcel delivery system. Scammers send fake ‘missed delivery’ notices to potential victims, getting people to download malware or ransomware to their PC. Personal information can be stolen through this scam. More than 1700 reports were issued to Scamwatch in the past 12 months. 

“Your personal information is often just as valuable to a scammer as your money so always be careful about the information you give out online,” ACCC said. 

“If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do your research on any online stores you're using, especially if it’s for the first time,” they added.