KEY POINTS
- A 2020 Internet Crime Complaint Center’s (IC3) report identified that non-payment or non-delivery scams cost consumers more than $265 million.
- The same reported noted that credit card fraud accounted for an additional $129 million in losses that year.
- Check Point reported that the most frequently impersonated brands of 2020 were: Microsoft (43%) and DHL (18%). Other major brands listed were: Google, PayPal, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon to name a few.
While preliminary sales numbers show that this black Friday and Cyber Monday paled in comparison to previous years, consumers need to continue shopping online with caution. The following video by the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides viewers with a great set of tips and tricks to stay safe online this holiday season!
Additional Tips
- Always verify the legitimacy of a buyer or seller before moving forward with an online transaction. This can easily be done by reviewing the buyer or sellers rating on platforms such as Amazon or Ebay.
- Check the website’s URL to make sure you’re on the correct website. Avoid making financial transactions on websites that do not include “https” in the web address.
- If a seller asks you to pay for a service with a pre-paid gift card, this is almost certainly a red flag as pre-paid cards lack many of the security features that are associated with a traditional credit card.
We hope you and your loved ones have an amazing holiday season! If you have any questions regarding online shopping scams, and how you can stay safe online this holiday season, contact us and we will be glad continue the dialog! Do not forget to click here to subscribe to our newsletter for more information security related tips and tricks.
Additional Resources