Black Friday is the Perfect Time to Pick Up Holiday Gifts at a Discount, But Be Cautious of Online Scams
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About 50% of online consumers each year are swindled by various schemes to steal money or data, according to the director of Norton’s Scam Research Labs. Of those heists, 30% take place on Black Friday, 16% take place on Christmas Day, 14% take place on Christmas Eve; and 11% take place on Cyber Monday.
As shoppers take advantage of holiday deals, the cybersecurity company’s research lab has identified the most common online scams. Here are some tips to help you avoid falling victim:
1. E-shop Scams
Bilge said “hundreds” of fake shops pop up online each year. Common sense, new tools and a few tactics can be used to spot them. One sign that an online retailer might be fake is that their deals are “too good to be true.” Payment pages on these fake sites will often provide useful clues. Taking a look at the URL of a website can also help. Paying attention before capitalizing on an attractive deal could save your wallet and private information.
2. “Smishing” Package Delivery Scams
Many consumers receive a higher volume of packages around the holiday season. Scammers will send fake text messages or emails from UPS, the U.S. Postal Service or Amazon, etc., to collect personal information. One method to spot these scams is to take a closer look at the phone number or email address that the correspondence is coming from.
3. Charity Scams
Thieves will often impersonate well-known charities through email or text or by using fake websites. One way to spot a bogus charity is the way they correspond with you. Verify phone numbers and URLs for charities before donating to them. Donors should be wary of charities that claim to help victims of recent high-profile disasters and to double-check the name of the charity to ensure that it doesn’t have a “copycat name.”
By taking a few simple precautions and being aware of these scams, you can avoid becoming a victim of online theft this holiday season. Always look for the lock icon in the browser address bar, indicating that the website is using a secure connection. Check the website’s URL to see if it starts with “https” instead of “http.” Finally, check the company’s website for a physical address and phone number.
