Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to support South Australian retailers with the additional benefit of avoiding the danger of online shopping scams – as new data reveals May was one of the worst months for scams in 2023.

According to the National Anti-Scam Centre’s latest report, May 2023 tied with January 2023 as the worst month for scams with $53.3 million reported in losses nation-wide.

The Malinauskas Labor Government is warning people to protect themselves from scams and encouraging them to support local businesses when purchasing gifts this Mother’s Day.

As online shopping continues to grow in popularity, convincing scams are more prolific with dodgy sellers often using social media to target unsuspecting shoppers and directing them to fake websites.

These websites can look like legitimate retailers’ websites and we advise checking the URL or searching for the retailer direct in your browser.

Searching for independent reviews of the item can also reveal a fake trader or online shopping scam.

Shopping with local brands you know and trust, while keeping an eye out for unusually low prices, uncommon payment options such as a wire transfer and mock websites, is the best way to avoid being scammed.

South Australia is home to an incredible array of small businesses – both bricks and mortar and online – and this Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to support local retailers when shopping for gifts.

To help consumers avoid common pitfalls, Consumer and Business Services have put together a series of tips to help people including:

• When shopping online, never go with the first item you find, compare prices, check reviews and ensure you’re dealing with a legitimate vendor.
• If a website doesn’t seem quite right, trust your instincts as there are lots of fake websites posing as legitimate retailers.
• When buying gift cards, check the expiry date and the terms and conditions.

For more information about shopping safely this Mother’s Day, visit: https://www.cbs.sa.gov.au/campaigns/mothers-day