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There are only a few days left until Santa Claus begins his annual visit. If you haven’t started shopping yet, now is the time.
But try not to panic, and don’t cut before you think. Scammers and other Scrooges on the Internet want to take advantage of your haste and trick you into falling for fake deals and other shopping scams.
It’s the big jump in online shopping combined with consumers who are busy and distracted that makes this time of year attractive to thieves, said Darius Kingsley, head of consumer banking at Chase.
Kingsley says: “Most of us are in charge year-round, probably to some degree. “Then it’s the end of November and you’ve just started holiday shopping so the panic sets in. It’s kind of all that feeling, but it clouds your judgment a little bit.”
This year’s online holiday sales are expected to set records. Adobe services that online sales in the US hit $240.8 billion this holiday shopping season, which represents growth of 8.4% over the same period last year.
He got off to a great start over the holiday weekend. Adobe says online sales for this year’s Cyber Week, a five-day period that includes Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, hit $41.1 billion, representing an 8.2% increase over the same period last year.
Like other consumers, many meteorologists left early for the holidays this year. In its Holiday Threats Report, published in November, Visa reported that the number of fake and fraudulent websites its researchers saw in the past four months was nearly three times what it had been in the previous four months.
James Mirfin, senior vice president and global head of risk and information, said Visa has also seen an increase in other negative activities including fraud and technical advice, as well as fraud related to vacation travel and weather services.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) tools are making it faster and easier for cybercriminals to create scams, allowing them to communicate and create deeper videos that make their scams more convincing, he said. And, needless to say, gone are the days of poorly worded phishing emails that would raise the suspicions of even the least sophisticated consumer.
“These things are starting to look like they’re coming from your bank or someone you trust,” Mirfin said.
Mike Price, chief technology officer at ZeroFox, pointed to the rise of tools such as ChatGPT and other forms of major languages as the most recent trends in the world of online fraud. He said that in addition to immersive audio and video, these types of tools allow criminals to create vivid images of anything imaginable, just by quickly typing in words.
“And that didn’t happen until the last couple of years and it didn’t really mature until this year,” Price said. “Platforms have come a long way in the last few months.”
That may seem difficult. But a few precautions will help you stay safe from online Krampuses. Here are a few expert tips on how to shop for the holidays.
Check your list (and credit card and bank statements) more than twice
Manage your bank and credit card accounts. It is good not only for safety but also for saving money.
Mirfin said consumers should set up purchase alerts on their accounts and monitor their data, especially this time of year.
You can make the process easier by limiting your holiday shopping to a credit card and an email address. Doing this also reduces the risk of falling for a scam if someone accesses your email account.
If you see anything else, log into your account directly through the bank’s app or website, or call the number on the back of your card. Do not click on email links.
Don’t pay when shopping with crypto currency. By design, crypto is designed to be anonymous and very difficult to track. If someone stole it, it’s probably gone.
Payment requests by vendors gift cards it should also be viewed with skepticism. They are also untraceable and can easily be turned into money or merchandise by cybercriminals.
Don’t be a party to phishers
Spam and fraudulent emails, texts and other types of messages are common throughout the year, but they tend to pile up this time of year. It may look like a fraud alert from your bank or information about what you should have.
The danger is that consumers may click on a link in a malicious email that will take them to a fake website that may collect personal or financial information, putting them at risk of financial fraud or theft.
Major email providers do their best to keep phishing emails out of your inbox, but some compromise their security, ZeroFox’s Price said. And it won’t do much to stop people from clicking on things they believe are legitimate.
Scott Knapp, Amazon’s vice president of global consumer risk prevention, said the scam, in which a customer receives a text message or email saying they’ve bought something they didn’t actually buy, has been on the rise this year. . Some say there’s a problem with delivery, while others are now showing a fake “secret” Amazon Prime membership.
When it comes to fraudulent emails mentioning Amazon, Knapp says the best thing people can do is simply return to the company’s website or app. If there is a problem with the order, or the company needs to contact you, the notification will be on your message page.
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Is it Santa? Or is it the Grinch in disguise?
Sure, you can Google around if the big sellers don’t have what you’re looking for, but make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate business. Be very suspicious of ads that pop up on your social media that offer a limited time opportunity.
If you have doubts about the authenticity of any offer, message or seller, the advice is the same.
“Customers should be skeptical,” Knapp said. “It’s an old saying, ‘If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.’ Get away from it.”
You’re always better off shopping at a reputable store, but if you’re doing business with what appears to be a discount store or even a small business, you should check it out first. Look for reviews online and look for complaints with groups like the Better Business Bureau, Price said.
Even if you do your homework, you should be prepared for the possibility of losing your money to a thief, he said. If you’re not okay with that, you’re probably better off paying a little more somewhere else.
Be selective when it comes to gift cards
Some people are hard to buy for, especially if you’re pressed for time, which can tempt you to just buy them a gift card. But experts say cybercriminals are also looking for cash on the cards they accept before they have a chance to use them.
While digital gift cards are a good way to go, don’t buy them from third-party websites, even if they offer generous discounts, Chase’s Kingsley advises. There is no guarantee that they will actually arrive. And even if they appear in the mail, they can disappear or be used.
Although it is difficult to wrap and put under the tree, it is better to buy digital cards from the company that issued them, or a large retailer. If you really want a physical card, look for one that has full packaging, preferably in the back of the store.
Elf on the Shelf can’t be the only one watching
Cybersecurity measures, which you should practice throughout the year, are essential if you want to prevent the cyber Grinch from visiting.
Make sure your devices and online accounts — bank and credit cards, email, social media, website logins, etc. — are locked before you start shopping. Update your operating system, antivirus programs and all your programs.
All your online accounts are required strong, unique passwords. If you need help, use a password manager. Passports it is becoming more and more common and it can make things easier too. Two-factor authenticationwhich requires a second identification such as a biometric or a push notification sent to your phone, should always be turned on when available.
If you are concerned about the safety of the free internet at your local store, consider writing a virtual private network. Ideally, it will hide your location, as well as hide what you send and receive over Wi-Fi.
You can also use the cellular connection on your smartphone. It is more secure than any Wi-Fi connection out there.
