With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner,
consumers are urged to beware of the most commons scams of the season.
To help you do that, McAfee, the Internet security firm, is
revealing its "Twelve Scams of Christmas" -- the 12 most dangerous online scams
that computer users should be cautious of this holiday season.
"Scams continue to be big business for cybercriminals who
have their sights set on capitalizing on open hearts and wallets this holiday
season," said Dave Marcus, director of security research for McAfee Labs. "As
people jump online to look for deals on gifts and travel, it's important to
recognize common scams to safeguard against theft during the busy season
ahead."
Here, then, are McAfees's Twelve Scams of Christmas:
1) iPad offer scams
With Apple products topping most shopping lists this holiday
season, scammers are busy distributing bogus offers for free iPads. McAfee Labs
found that in the spam version of the scam, consumers are asked to purchase
other products and provide their credit card number to get the free iPad. Of
course, victims never receive the iPad or the other items -- just the headache
of reporting a stolen credit card number.
In the social media version of the scam, users take a quiz
to win a free iPad and must supply their cell phone number to receive the
results. In actuality they are signed up for a cell phone scam that costs $10 a
week.
2) 'Help! I've been robbed' scam
This travel scam sends phony distress messages to family and
friends requesting that money be wired or transferred so that they can get
home. McAfee Labs says there's been an increase in this scam and predicts its
rise during the busy travel season.
3) Fake gift cards
Cybercrooks use social media to promote fake gift card
offers with the goal of stealing consumers' information and money, which is
then sold to marketers or used for ID theft.
One recent Facebook scam offered a "free $1,000 Best Buy
gift card" to the first 20,000 people who signed up for a Best Buy fan page,
which was a look-a-like. To apply for the gift card they had to provide
personal information and take a series of quizzes.
4) Holiday job offers
As people seek extra cash for gifts this holiday season,
Twitter scams offer dangerous links to high-paying, work-at-home jobs that ask
for your personal information, such as your email address, home address and
Social Security number to apply for the fake job.
5) 'Smishing'
Cybercrooks are now "smishing," or sending phishing SMS
texts. These texts appear to come from your bank or an online retailer saying
that there is something wrong with an account and you have to call a number to
verify your account information. In reality, these efforts are merely a ruse to
extract valuable personal information from the targets.
Cybercrooks know that people are more vulnerable to this
scam during the holiday season when consumers are doing more online shopping
and checking bank balances frequently.
6) Suspicious holiday rentals
During peak travel times when consumers often look online
for affordable holiday rentals, cybercrooks post fake holiday rental sites that
ask for down payments on properties by credit card or wire transfer.
7) Recession scams continue
Scammers target vulnerable consumers with recession related
scams such as pay-in-advance credit schemes. McAfee Labs has seen a significant
number of spam emails advertising pre-qualified, low-interest loans and credit
cards if the recipient pays a processing fee, which goes directly into the
scammer's pocket.
8) Grinch-like greetings
E-cards are a convenient and earth-friendly way to send
greetings to friends and family, but cybercriminals load fake versions with
links to computer viruses and other malware instead of cheer. According to
McAfee Labs, computers may start displaying obscene images, pop-up ads, or even
start sending cards to contacts that appear to come from you.
9) Low price traps
Shoppers should be cautious of products offered at prices
far below competitors. Cyber scammers use auction sites and fake websites to
offer too-good-to-be-true deals with the goal of stealing your money and
information.
10) Charity scams
The holidays have historically been a prime time for charity
scams since it's a traditional time for giving, and this year is likely to be
no exception. Common ploys include phone calls and spam e-mails asking you to
donate to veterans' charities, children's causes and relief funds for the
latest catastrophe.
11) Dangerous holiday downloads
Holiday-themed screensavers, jingles and animations are an
easy way for scammers to spread viruses and other computer threats especially
when links come from an email or IM that appears to be from a friend.
12) Hotel and airport wi-fi
During the holidays many people travel and use free wi-fi in
places like hotels and airports. This is a tempting time for thieves to hack
into networks hoping to find opportunities for theft.
McAfee advises Internet users to follow these five tips to
protect their computers and personal information:
- Stick to well-established and trusted sites that include trust marks (icons or seals from third parties verifying that the site is safe), user reviews and customer support. A reputable trust mark provider will have a live link attached to its trust mark icon, which will take visitors to a verification Web site of the trust mark provider.
- Do not respond to offers that arrive in a spam email, text or instant message.
- Preview a link's web address before you click on it to make sure it is going to an established site. Never download or click anything from an unknown source.
- Stay away from vendors that offer prices well below the norm. Don't believe anything that sounds too good to be true.
- Make sure to use trusted wi-fi networks. Don't check bank accounts or shop online if you're not sure the network is safe.
