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David Marcus, director of security research and
communications for McAfee Labs, warned consumers to be more vigilant
when shopping on the Web during the holiday season as scammers are out
in full force to hijack both your money and identity.
"The bad guys know people are spending more time online,
they're paying more bills online so [the criminals] stand a chance of
being a bit more successful this time of year,” he said.
Marcus listed the 12 common scams of Christmas:
1. Charitable phishing scams: Marcus warns
consumers to be wary of e-mails that appear to be from legitimate
charities. Not only will they take your money and deprive charities of
needed funds, but they will also steal your credit card information and
identity.
2. Fake invoices from delivery services: During
this period, scammers will send out fake invoices and delivery
notifications appearing to come from Federal Express, UPS, the U.S.
Postal Service or even the U.S. Customs Service saying that they were
unable to deliver a package to your address. They ask you to confirm
your address and give them credit card information to pay for delivery.
3. Social networking friend requests: Bad guys
take advantage of this social time of year by sending out authentic
looking friend requests via e-mail. Marcus recommends that you not click
on those links but sign into Facebook and other services and look for
friend requests from the site itself. Clicking on a link could install
malware on your computer or trick you into revealing your password.
4. Holiday e-cards: Be careful before clicking on
a holiday e-card, especially if it's from a site you haven't heard of.
This is a way to deliver malware, pop-ups, and other forms of unwanted
advertising. Some fake e-cards will look like they come from Hallmark or
other legitimate companies, so pay close attention and make sure it's
from someone you know. If you're going to send an e-card, be sure you're
dealing with a reputable service lest you risk infecting yourself and
your friends.
5. Fake "luxury" jewellery: If you see an offer
for luxury gifts from companies like Cartier, Gucci, and Tag Heuer at a
price that's too good to be true, it probably isn't true. These links
could lead you to malware and take your money or merchandise that will
probably never arrive (or be fake if it does). Some of these sites,
according to McAfee, even display the logos of the Better Business
Bureau.
6. Practice safe holiday shopping: Make sure your
wireless network is secure and be sure you're shopping on sites that are
secure. Though it isn't an iron-clad guarantee, you should look for the
lock icon in the lower right corner of your browser and make sure the
Web page starts with https. The "s" stands for "secure."
7. Christmas carol lyrics can be dangerous: Bad
guys know that people are searching for holiday related sites for music,
holiday graphics and other festive media. During this time they create
fraudulent holiday related sites.
8. Job search related scams: With the unemployment
rate at 10.2 percent, there are plenty of job seekers looking for work.
Beware of online offers for high paying jobs or at-home money making
schemes. Some of these sites ask for money up front, which is a good way
for criminals not only to steal your "set up fee" but misuse your credit
card too. Marcus said that some "get rich quick" sites are all about
money laundering, asking you to accept an inbound financial transfer and
pay them.
9. Auction site fraud: McAfee has observed a rise
in fake auction sites during the holidays. Make sure you're actually
going to eBay or whatever site you plan to deal with.
10. Password stealing scams: Criminals use
low-cost tools to uncover passwords, in some cases planting key logger
software to record keystrokes. Once they get your passwords, they gain
access to bank accounts and credit card accounts and send spam from your
e-mail accounts.
11. E-mail banking scams: A common type of
phishing scam is sending out official looking e-mails that appear to
come from your bank. Don't click on any links but type in your bank's
Web address manually if you need to access your account.
12. Files for ransom: Hackers use malware to gain
control of your computer and lock your data files. To access your own
data you have to pay them ransom.
Bottom
line - Don't let the eggnog and holiday cheer keep you from using your
critical thinking skills when you go online during the holiday season.
And, of course, make sure your operating system is updated and that
you're using up-to-date security software. |
