BOQ urges scam vigilance ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday

17 November 2025

As Australians prepare for the year’s biggest online shopping events—Black Friday and Cyber Monday—the Bank of Queensland Group (BOQ) is warning consumers to stay alert to scams and take extra precautions during this peak period.

Scam activity typically surges around major sales events, with common tactics including fake online stores and social media ads, phishing messages impersonating well-known brands, parcel delivery hoaxes with scammers sending fake texts/emails about undelivered packages, and fraudulent charity appeals preying on people’s seasonal generosity.

BOQ Group’s top tips to shop safely include:

• Verify websites before making purchases—look for secure payment options and confirm the website you use is legitimate:

  • You can check the website’s ABN is registered to the named trader for free through the Australian Business Register’s ABN Lookup Portal.
  • Similarly, you can check an established charity or not-for-profit organisation, through the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Charity Register.

• Avoid clicking links in unsolicited texts or emails.

• Book directly with hotels and airlines to avoid travel scams.

• Pause before paying—if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

BOQ Group Head of Fraud Risk Management, Claire Shaw, said: “Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially during peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“At BOQ Group, we’re committed to protecting our customers through technologies like Confirmation of Payee and by providing timely education and alerts. We encourage everyone to stay vigilant, double-check before making payments, and contact us if something doesn’t seem right.”

BOQ Group has adopted a whole-of-ecosystem approach, working with industry, government, and intelligence partners to reduce the impact of scams. Key initiatives include:

• Confirmation of Payee (COP), alerting customers when account names don’t match, reducing misdirected payments.
• Enhanced onboarding controls in the digital bank and biometric authentication, achieving 98.3% fraud and scam intervention rates.
• Crypto restrictions, addressing investment scams—the leading source of losses in 2024.
• Advanced detection systems that monitor transactions in real time and flag suspicious behaviour.

BOQ Group also continues to invest in fraud and scam risk infrastructure to stay ahead in a dynamic threat environment.

For BOQ’s latest scam alerts and prevention tips, visit boq.com.au.