Beware of increased scams this Lunar New Year

Many Lunar New Year traditions involve buying new items such as clothes to symbolise a fresh beginning to the new year, which is a perfect time for fraudsters to prey on unsuspecting victims.

Watch out for these common scams this Lunar New Year:

Online travel scams

Lunar New Year typically means families travel to celebrate the festive season together or use the holiday time to travel overseas.

Beware of fake travel booking websites offering fraudulent airline tickets, hotels, or car rentals.

Phishing emails and text messages

Phishing emails and text messages tend to increase around the holidays offering special Lunar New Year deals that are too good to be true. Scammers impersonate well-known companies, banks, or delivery services, sending messages with links to fake websites where they capture personal details.

Never click on links in unsolicited messages; instead, access sites directly through a trusted browser.

Online marketplace scams

The scammer will typically post fake advertisements for deals on Lunar New Year decorations, clothing, and food items, and then send a link or QR code that leads to a phishing site or prompt you to download a malware app.

Both of these are designed to steal your personal information.

Blessing scam

Scammers posing as spiritual healers or fortune-tellers’ approach potential victims and coerce the victim into believing they need a blessing to protect themselves and their families from a curse or illness.

The scammer will then ask the victim to bring large amounts of cash, jewellery, or other valuable items to pay for the ritual.

Be cautious of unsolicited approaches by individuals claiming to foresee danger or curses and never hand over cash or valuables to strangers under any circumstances.