Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to support South Australian retailers with the additional benefit of avoiding online shopping scams and sneaky tactics.

According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, South Australians lost over $14.5 million to scams in 2024 with online shopping scams in the top 10 most common and costing South Australians close to $250,000.

The state 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.

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

People should also be mindful of tricks designed to get them to spend more than they intended such as hidden fees at the check-out and scarcity cues that urge you to make a quick decision such as pop-ups saying ‘last one!’.

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 fake websites posing as legitimate retailers.
• When buying gift cards, check the expiry date and the terms and conditions.

It’s also important to know your rights as a consumer and if the gift purchased for Mum isn’t quite right what you can do about it.

While retailers aren't obliged to give you a refund just because you've changed your mind, many do offer change-of-mind returns so make sure you check their policies and keep some proof of purchase.

If the item isn’t fit for purpose, then under Australian Consumer Law, you are entitled to a refund or replacement.

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.

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