With The Life of a Showgirl confirmed and pre-orders now live, NAB is warning Taylor fans to watch out for scammers hoping to cash in on the hype.
From fake pre-order pages and dodgy merch sites to bogus "leaked track" downloads, criminals are looking to turn Taylor-mania into quick cash.
On average, NAB stops and recovers close to $2m in scam payments each month*. NAB Head of Security Culture and Advisory Tessa Bowles said when excitement is high, criminals know fans will rush to make purchases, reminding people to stop, check and protect.
"Before you hand over your payment details, make sure you're paying for the real thing, not some imitation of a showgirl," said Ms Bowles.
Common scam red flags to watch out for:
- Fake pre-order sites: copycat websites mimicking Taylor's official store to steal payment details or deliver nothing
- 'Leaked track' links: promising early songs but hiding malware
- Social media giveaways: impersonators offering "exclusive access" in exchange for personal details or a fee
- Hijacked friend social media accounts: selling "spare" merch or pre-order access codes that don't exist
- Ms Bowles suggests the safest way to enjoy the album build-up is to stick to official sources.
"Stay in your Safe-Ty Era by going official," said Ms Bowles.
"Only use links from verified pages or trusted retailors. And get there by typing the website address yourself instead of clicking on a link sent to you by someone claiming to a retailor.
"Criminals also thrive on urgency and fear. If you see 'get in quick' or 'last chance offer' on something that sounds too good to be true, pause and double-check it first.
"Buying items through social media or online marketplaces always comes with a risk. If you decide to proceed with the purchase, do so with caution, checking whether the seller has a legitimate profile, other listings and reviews.
"Using PayID can also help reduce the risk of fraud or payments being sent to the wrong account as you can see the name of the person or business when paying. Be cautious of sellers asking you to pay with gift cards or cryptocurrencies."
NAB will always do whatever it can to get stolen money back, but once you've hit send it can be challenging as scammers often send funds overseas or to cryptocurrency platforms.
Australians should also make sure to update software on all their electronic devices, use strong unique passwords, and turn on multi-factor authentication when it's available.
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