AFP Warns Online Shoppers of Text Phishing Scams as Black Friday and Cyber Monday Are Coming

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) urges online shoppers to exercise extra caution against cyber criminals who are ramping up text phishing scams ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, major annual shopping events in Australia celebrated on the last Friday of November and the first Monday of December.

The AFP warns that cyber criminals are increasingly likely to exploit these shopping events by impersonating legitimate retailers, as well as postal and delivery services through phishing text message scams, likely generated using sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) techniques.

comparison of legitimate and AI-generated text messages shared by the AFP

Online shopping phishing scams deceive victims into providing personal information via fraudulent emails or text messages that appear to be from a legitimate retailer. The emails contain malicious links that, when clicked, allow scammers to access the victim’s computer. The criminals then attempt to steal online banking passwords and credit card details, potentially leading to significant financial loss and identity theft.

In the 2023-24 financial year, Australia saw more than 114,000 phishing reports, resulting in over $18 million in recorded thefts.

AFP Cyber Operations Acting Commander Dean Chidgey advised, “Take your time when reading text messages and emails, look out for strange letters or symbols in hyperlinks, avoid any deal that seems too good to be true, and if you are still unsure you can verify the information by googling the official website or retailer instead.”