The holiday shopping season is already underway, but it kicks into high gear this week with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. While bargain hunters swear by the deals they score, the discounts aren’t the only thing to be watching for, as cybercriminals also use the frenzy of online shopping to scam us.
Some of the common Black Friday scams to watch out for this year:
- Online shopping scams - Fake retail websites are easy to fall for during major sales events, as scammers create convincing copies of popular brands and stores sites offering huge discounts to lure shoppers in and swindle them.
- Postage and delivery scams - These also spike during the holiday season when scammers send fake “missed delivery” texts and emails that look like they’re coming from the delivery services we know and trust. The messages make you click a link to confirm your address or something seemingly innocent, which leads to a phishing site or malware download.
- Gift card scams - Unsuspecting shoppers may buy fake or already-drained gift cards sold by scammers through third-party websites.
- Social media scams - These include everything from fake ads to direct messages to counterfeit products and fraudulent sites.
Protect yourself from scammers while shopping online with these tips:
- Always type the website address directly, don’t follow links from ads or emails
- Don’t click on links sent in advertising emails or texts you weren’t expecting
- Use a credit card or PayPal, which offer better consumer protection than gift cards and direct transfers.
- Make sure your security software is up to date so it blocks malicious links, fake sites and phishing attempts as they come in.
- Texts or emails claiming a delivery was missed or asking for a small “redelivery” fee are red flags. They often lead to fake sites set up to steal your payment info or install malware.
Source: Trend Micro