With the festive season nearly upon us, ‘tis the season for online scams.

The Financial and Cyber Crime Group are reminding Queenslanders to be aware of Grinch-like scammers and be sure to stay alert to scams, such as gift card scams.

At this time of the year, it is not uncommon to be sent emails containing links to gift cards.

Be very sceptical of organisations offering unsolicited free gift cards or coupons online, including on social media.

There are numerous versions of fake gift card promotions, all of which involve scammers trying to steal personal or financial details.

As with all online scams, a good rule of thumb is to never click on or respond to an unsolicited message that feels too good to be true.

To learn more about scams, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au or the Queensland Police Service’s R U in Control campaign at www.police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/r-u-in-control.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.