Reports of cyber scams up over Christmas

Cases of online scams and fraud reported to authorities have almost doubled in the lead-up to Christmas.

The Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network received 2608 reports in December last year, up from 1415 the same month in the previous year.

Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan, whose responsibilities include cyber security, urged people to be wary of suspicious or unsolicited emails and have strong passwords with numbers and symbols.