- Phishing scams, fake domains, and malware attacks increase during this time of year, according to Check Point Software
Cyber Monday emerged in 2005 as a continuation of the long weekend shopping starting on Black Friday. Black Friday, named after Thanksgiving, was initially intended for sales and shopping in physical stores, and ‘Cyber Monday’ for the same, but for online stores and ecommerce platforms.
According to a new report by Adobe Analytics, Cyber Monday in the US is expected to remain the year’s biggest shopping day, driving an impressive $11.2billion in spending in the US, increasing 5.1% over last year, versus just 1% growth for Black Friday sales.
Nowadays both dates are practically the same and have no differentiation, not only in terms of purchases and figures, but also in the cyberattacks they receive, and which are related to these ‘shopping’ days.
Absa’s Card Data Analysis Black Friday 2021 report shows that even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in South Africa last year showed an increase of between 15% and 30% when compared to 2020, this was attributed to more people buying instead of individuals spending more.
However, with last year’s supply chain issues resolved, it is expected that Cyber Monday sales and participation will increase exponentially as shoppers flock online to look for deals; online retail stores have already started advertising for Cyber Monday deals, weeks ahead of the actual day on November 28th.
“More online shopping activities over this period means that there are more opportunities for cybercrimes to take place. We can expect an array of shopping-related scams where consumers will not get what they paid for, as well as identity theft, and bank fraud. It is important to recognise the warning signs and take immediate action if local shoppers are to protect themselves and their loved ones,” says Charnie-Lee Adams-Kruger, Country Manager for Southern Africa at Check Point.
Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider specialising in cybersecurity worldwide, wants to raise awareness among potential shoppers to be cautious with their Cyber Monday purchases as they ‘stroll online’ for such amazing deals.
For example, South African e-tailer Takealot published a warning last year about fraudulent online scams targeting unsuspecting consumers when it comes to special prices during the Black Friday period.
This year will likely be no different. Another example can be found in the most recent data from Check Point Software referring to Amazon Prime Day. We can see how both the number of pages related to the term ‘amazon’ and phishing attacks using this company as an excuse increased.
Almost 1,900 Amazon-related Web pages were created and 10% of them were fraudulent. Without going any further, last year, in the days leading up to Black Friday, there was a 178% increase in malicious Web stores globally.
And it is not just Web sites that you have to watch out for, phishing is also a big player these days. Recently, Check Point Software published a report on malware in Q3 that reflects how transport and package courier companies are used to impersonate identities and carry out phishing attacks, and where DHL ranks first.
This has a close relationship with Cyber Monday, as many of the purchases are made online and delivered with parcel companies, making it more likely that people will ‘bite’ on a scam.
In order for people to take the necessary precautions when buying their favourite products, Check Point Software would like to provide a series of tips to stay safe whilst participating in this season of shopping and as you start to put favoured purchases in your Cyber Monday shopping carts:
- Always buy from an authentic and reliable source: the ideal is to look for the link in the search engine that we use for the store from which we want to purchase the product. Clicking on a link sent to potential shoppers by email without knowing its origin could potentially be dangerous.
- Be alert to similar domains: it is very important to pay attention to the links and domains of the Web pages we enter. Misspellings or misspelled names are a sign of which pages are the originals and which have been created to try to attack users who enter.
- Offers that seem too good to be true will, in fact, always be too good to actually be true: check several sites to see if the offer is real or not. An unusual discount on a highly demanded product could be a clear indicator that it is a scam.
- Always look for the padlock: Web sites that have the HTTPS instead of HHTP are the secure and authentic sites. In addition, they will have a padlock in front of them to distinguish them from the others. We should only enter these since they are the ones that comply with international security standards.
- Have security solutions for endpoints: you should also have such security solutions for your e-mail. With this measure many cyberattacks and information leaks can be prevented.
- Always be on the lookout for password reset emails: especially when the volume of online traffic is at its peak, such as on Cyber Monday. If you receive an uninvited password reset email, always visit the Web site directly (do not click on the links) and change your password.
“Cyber Monday is a great opportunity for many people to get services and products they need at a great discount, although they should also be on the alert to cyber scams, phishing and specially discounted offers”, says Charnie-Lee Adams-Kruger, Country Manager for Southern Africa at Check Point Software. “In this type of online offer these days, many cybercriminals try to impersonate companies involved in such specials, such as delivery companies or stores. You need to continue to practise vigilance so as not to fall for the scams online, even as you enjoy shopping.”
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