The end of financial year (EOFY) is one of the busiest shopping periods in Australia and cybercriminals are taking full advantage. As June 30 approaches, scammers are exploiting the surge in online sales and limited-time deals to target shoppers with increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven scams.

With online shopping losses continuing to rise in Australia, shoppers need to be more vigilant than ever. Scammers know that when you’re chasing a great EOFY deal, you’re more likely to act quickly and lower your guard.

The “Perfect Storm” for Shopping Scams

EOFY creates unique conditions that scammers exploit: 

• Urgency & Bargain Hunting
  • The “now or never” mindset for June 30 sales means you’re less likely to double-check if a deal is legit.
• Too Good to Be True Prices
  • Massive discounts on popular items (like electronics, clothes, and high-end fashion) are the primary bait.
• Increased Online Activity
  • You are likely tracking multiple orders, making fake delivery notifications harder to spot. 

The Top Shopping Scams to Watch This EOFY

1. “Ghost” Retail Websites 

• Scammers are setting up fake retail websites that perfectly mimic reputable brands. These sites appear in social media ads with massive EOFY sales. They often feature current-season clothing, stolen logos, and legitimate looking domains to lure you in.  

2. Fake Social Media Marketplace Stores 

• Keep an eye out for ads on Facebook and Instagram for boutique stores you’ve never heard of. Many of these are temporary “ghost stores” posing as struggling Australian boutiques having a closing-down sale.  

3. Fake Delivery Notifications 

• With increased shopping comes increased tracking. Scammers send SMS or email messages pretending to be from Australia Post, DHL, or courier services, claiming an “undelivered package” requires you to pay a small fee or update details. Clicking the link takes you to a fake website designed to steal your credit card details. 

4. AI-Powered “Too Good to Be True” Deals  

• Scammers are increasingly utilising Generative AI to create a “scam assembly line,” allowing a single operator to produce hundreds of convincing fake product listings, websites, and endorsements within hours. This technology allows low-quality items to appear as luxury or high-tech products through perfectly lit, AI-generated images that are hard to distinguish from real photographs. 
  

How to Stay Protected

EOFY doesn’t have to be open season for scammers. A few simple habits can make a big difference: 

• Pause before you act  

• Verify requests independently 

• Avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages  

• Be cautious of deals that feel too good to be true  

• Use trusted security tools to help detect scams before you engage 

• A trusted security app like Trend Micro ScamCheck blocks spam and scam messages as well as unsafe websites. 

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