Online security experts have warned Australian travellers to take extra care against scammers looking to exploit their unfamiliarity with UK’s new digital permit system.

Under changes which come into effect today, Australians visiting England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are required to apply for a pre-travel pass online. 

The UK government launched its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme last year. 

Initially just for travellers from the Middle East, an ETA is now required for all non-European travellers — including Australians – who do not need a visa and were not born in the UK or Ireland.

Laura Hartley, a criminologist and head of security culture and advisory at NAB, told 9news.com.au scammers were already lying in wait.

“With Australians requiring a travel permit – known as an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – to visit the UK from today and Europe in coming months, criminals will be looking to rip travellers off,” she said.

“Criminals can exploit the ‘newness’ of the system, setting up fake websites where travellers pay for bogus permits, often at inflated prices, that don’t exist. Others involve scammers pretending to be the authorised third parties who can ‘apply’ on your behalf.”

European law enforcement agencies, such as Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency had already detected more than 100 fake or unofficial websites offering to sell ETAs.

“We’d expect the number of these scam websites to continue to grow, given the transnational, organised criminals behind them.”

The Australian Passport Office issued a warning in October last year about the growing number of visa related scams being reported to them.

While some companies were charging more to process visas than official government channels, some fake websites were going a step further to steal money from victims or get hold of their identity documents, the passport office said.

How to protect yourself from travel visa scams: