Australia's favourite fashion brands are being targeted by scammers

NAB urges shoppers taking advantage of mid-year sales to exercise caution because con artists use phony websites and online social media stores to target well-known brands.

Since February, customer reports of goods and service scams have increased by 66%.

Australians over 16 spent $2,063 on clothing and footwear on average last year [1], so thieves are preying on well-known brands by setting up "ghost" shopping websites to defraud unwary consumers.

Data from Scamwatch reveals:

In 2022, consumers lost more than $9 million due to online shopping fraud.

In the first four months of 2023, scammers stole more than $2.5 million from Australians using shopping scams.

A similar increase can be seen in the number of shopping scams that result in reported financial losses, from about 35.9% in 2021 to 45.2% in 2022 to 47.5% so far in 2023.

The development of ghost websites and fake ads on reputable websites, according to Chris Sheehan of NAB Executive Group Investigations & Fraud, shows how skilled con artists have become.

According to Mr. Sheehan, a former executive with the Australian Federal Police, "Many Australians will use the upcoming mid-year sales to grab a bargain, while for businesses it's an opportunity to end the financial year on a strong note."

We must therefore assist customers and businesses in spotting scams.

According to Mr. Sheehan, criminals—often linked to international organised crime groups—were responsible for creating sophisticated "ghost" websites that were made to be nearly indistinguishable from authentic websites.

Along with ABNs and a.com.au domain name, they frequently include pictures of fashionable outfits from the current season and stolen logos, the expert said.

"In today's digital world, we can shop on our phones at any time by simply pressing a button. If you're online shopping on the couch at night after a long day at work or you have one eye on the TV, it's especially simple to miss the warning signs.

"In general, fake websites and online social media shops are only operational for a short while before con artists move on to the next brand.

Most of the time, nothing will arrive, and the buyer will occasionally get a fake version of the item they ordered.

Almost 18,000 online shopping scams were reported in 2022, according to Scamwatch data, but Mr. Sheehan claimed that actual numbers were likely much higher.

He noted that those who reported online shopping scams made up 35% of the population between the ages of 25 and 44.

According to recent NAB Economics research, this trend shows that even people who are thought to be quite tech savvy can become victims of these crimes.

"If you suspect you have been defrauded, call your bank immediately. We're available to assist.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity researchers have discovered new information-stealing malware targeting browsers and cryptocurrency wallets. Although the Bandit Stealer malware has only so far targeted Windows systems, it has the potential to spread to other operating systems like Linux.

What you need to know is as follows:

  • Bandit Stealer is a brand-new, highly technical malware that preys on cryptocurrency wallets and browsers.

  • Because it can avoid Windows Defender and is difficult for victims to detect, this malware poses a severe risk to Windows users.

  • Because Bandit Stealer is persistent, it can continue to work and steal data even when the system is shut down. Via phishing emails or malicious websites, victims may unintentionally download malware.

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