The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says travellers are vulnerable to holiday scams, where victims are approached by scammers who offer expensive memberships to fake discount hotel vouchers and scam travel clubs.
It says flight booking scams are another trap.
Consumers may think they have booked flights online, but the website they booked through is fake, and so are their bookings.
Holiday Scams
HLB Mann Judd fraud prevention expert Darryl Swindells says protecting yourself often requires just a few simple changes.
"Most of us simply make it too easy for fraudsters and scam artists to rip us off," he says.
"Fraudsters always look for an easy mark so often it's the careless or lazy people who are going to be targeted."
Younger people are often a target because they trust technology without considering the human influence behind it, Swindells says.
Almost half of Australia's population are active internet users, which makes online shopping a large playground for fraudsters.
Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan, national manager of the Australian Federal Police's high tech crime operations, says common sense is the key when shopping online.
Holiday Scams
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