The Thanksgiving holiday also brings two of the biggest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With inboxes soon to be flooded with bargains, sales and promotions, it’s important to know what to look for when it comes to legitimate deals and scammers looking to steal your data. Here are some top things to be wary of as we kick-off the holiday season!
Suspicious Emails That Appear Sent From Known Entities or Contacts
Cybercriminals can create spoofed emails by stealing retailer branding to make fraudulent emails appear legitimate, and may contain links or attachments that install malware or lead recipients to spoofed websites that steal user credentials. These emails may attempt to convey a sense of urgency – “Limited Time Offer!” – to prevent users from thoroughly inspecting the email for red flags.
Take Caution With Social Media Ads
Be wary of URL shortening can be employed by cybercriminals to trick users on social media sites and other outlets by hiding the true destination of a link. Users are advised to use a URL expander to reveal the true destination of shortened URLs prior to visiting websites and verify websites are the legitimate vendor prior to making any purchases.
Holiday-Themed eCards and Messages Meant to Install Malware
Best Way to Protect Your Accounts this Holiday Season? Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This will greatly reduce the risk of account compromise via credential theft. Watch our video to learn how to easily set-up 2FA today!
