If these Black Friday deals are too good to be true, they probably are.
The day after Thanksgiving is a day of blockbuster sales, not scams, but Black Friday is also rife with cybercrime, from fraudulent websites to fake ads masquerading as fan-favorite brands.
fox news According to reports, 50% of online shoppers are scammed each year, and 30% of cybercrimes involving personal data and money occur on Black Friday, and an additional 11% occur on Cyber Monday.
“While it seems like everyone is shopping online now, reliance on digital platforms has given these groups a wider attack surface than ever before,” said the cyber defense firm. said Cody Barrow, CEO of EclecticIQ. told CBS News. “Unfortunately, the effects are likely to extend into next week.”
EclecticIQ recently released a report that found thousands of fake websites using fake “Trusted Store” badges in an attempt to steal financial information.
In some cases, the scam sites can look eerily similar to popular brand sites offering deals on must-see products. Criminals may also create ads that look like they're from Wayfair or IKEA and paste them on social media and other sites.
Duped customers may not realize they've been scammed until they receive an order from one of the many fake websites that proliferate this time of year.
“It's very easy to create a fake e-shop that looks very real. It looks and feels great. You really won't find it that easily. “Sometimes it's hard to tell whether it's true or not,” Leila Blige of Norton's Fraud Lab told Fox News.
“We need to think twice because fraud is so complex and sophisticated now, especially with AI. Things are getting more powerful.”
As businesses prepare to break previous Black Friday records this year, experts offer tips on how to protect your financial and personal data from cybercrime.
In addition to protecting your account as usual, Blige advises never trusting a deal that's “too good to be true.”
“If something sells for, say, $100, you can't get it for $10,” she explained. “So it's not like you'll never get it.” [a] The discount is 90% less, but websites like this usually offer outrageous discounts like this. ”
Inconsistencies on the same website are also a red flag. In some cases, scam sites may advertise on their home page that they accept all types of payments, but when customers check out, the site only accepts payments via PayPal or gift cards. “Because it's hard to track,” Blige said.
“If you see a discrepancy like this between the first page and the last page, you should be very careful,” she added.
When you are redirected to a website, be wary of unusual URLs, double-check that the webpage you are visiting is legitimate, and always read reviews.
“We may need to be very careful and cross-check with third-party organizations that are actually providing reviews about our organization,” Bilge advised. “In fact, we have an AI-powered chatbot called Norton Genie that allows users to easily cross-check.”
Blige said sites like Reddit have forums where you can double-check with other shoppers about potential scams, and a simple search on the Internet is likely to uncover fake sites. Additionally, URLs that begin with “https” are secure, but URLs that begin with “http” do not have a secure connection.
Smishing, a version of text message fraud in which criminals send text blasts imitating businesses and trick recipients into handing over sensitive information, is also dangerous during the holidays.
“They'll say there's a problem with your payment or they can actually steal your money if you don't make additional payments,” Bilge explained. “Or they could actually compromise some personal information and use it for other types of attacks that might happen later.”
He recommended double-checking the sender's email address or phone number, noting that it could be “random characters” or an email address and is “highly suspicious.”
As a rule of thumb, never click on links from unknown senders.
“You will never receive an email like that from Amazon or UPS,” she warned.
