Five Online Scams to Avoid This Christmas
It’s Christmas time! The holidays have finally arrived, but while some like to celebrate by giving gifts and spending time with their loved ones, others have a more dangerous tradition.
During this season, there tends to be an increase in online activity because of all the shopping, which means that cybercriminals are on the lookout for unsuspecting targets. In order to trick users, they’re using more sophisticated techniques that may go unnoticed to the untrained eye.
That’s why today we’re taking a look at some of the most common Christmas scams to stay alert and learn how to avoid them.
1. Fraudulent Websites
This is one of the most well-known methods used by cybercriminals, yet it remains super effective. These fake websites are usually sent via email with some seemingly great deals for Christmas that invite you to click on their links. They might look like legit and trusted websites, but the devil is in the details. If you take a closer look you will find subtle misspellings on the address.
Another clue is to look at the start of the URL. If the website is asking you to input your personal information in order to make a purchase, but it doesn’t start with “https”, you shouldn’t go any further. That extra “s” stands for secure and it’s a helpful way to ensure that you are using an encrypted connection for your data. However, that doesn’t mean that the website’s authenticity has been validated. There could still be some clever phishing sites that have an “https” address, so their connection is encrypted from third parties, but the site itself could steal your data nonetheless.
You should be convinced that a website is trustworthy before you share any data because just one character could make the difference between a safe site and a fraudulent one.
2. Shipping Notifications
Here’s another scam that could go unnoticed. During the holidays there’s an increase in online shopping so when users complete a long-distance purchase they’re expecting a shipping notification to track their products via email. That’s where cybercriminals have found an opportunity to do some damage.
By creating fake emails and sending shipping notifications that look like the real thing, they expect users to fall on their trap and potentially spread malware across their devices. In order to avoid this, you should verify that these emails have the correct tracking number of your order. It also doesn’t hurt to double-check the address to see if it matches your previous purchases.
3. Fake Charities
Yeah, scammers can stoop so low. Christmas is all about giving and it makes sense that more users are willing to donate to many charities during the holiday season, but for scammers, Christmas is all about taking away.
Fake charities are not discussed as often, which makes them one of the sneakiest techniques out there. They take advantage of the generosity from donators who are manipulated into giving their money away to a bad cause.
To distinguish them from the rest you should verify their authenticity at Give.org, as they have a record of legitimate charities. You should also personally review the charity donation plan to see if everything adds up.
4. Christmas E-Cards
You might be thinking, who’s still sending e-cards these days? Well, maybe you’re not a potential target, but your parents or grandparents could be. Seniors are more likely to click on a flashy greeting card coming to their email, some might even input their personal information to receive more.
For that reason, your relatives should be informed and advised to not open these types of emails, especially if they come from unknown sources and are asking for their data.
5. Free Gift Cards
Gift cards are a pretty common present during the holidays, so it makes sense that getting one for free via email is appealing to many users, but if you’ve been keeping up with the previous techniques you can already guess how this is going to end.
Scammers tend to use pop-up ads to attract clicks in exchange for free gift cards that don’t exist. This could lead to identity theft or malware spread, compromising your online security. You should never open an email that claims to provide free gift cards. The best thing you can do is delete it at once, block the email address, and install some ad-blocking software to keep you safe.
Here’s an Extra Push to Avoid More Scams
If you’re looking for a way to block these threats you can count on our very own security extension Online.io. Thanks to our solution you can block suspicious ads, avoid malware and protect your computer from online tracking as well; making it easier to keep these Christmas scams as far away from you as possible.
I hope that you enjoyed our gift. It’s no iPhone XS, but hey, safety comes first.
Now that you’re more familiar with the most common Christmas scams, it’s time to stay cautious and get your shopping done.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
