People should beware phishing attempts from scammers posing as e-commerce firms offering discounts or giving away prizes, a data security company said.
As many stores roll out online discounts and promotions ahead of Wednesday next week, which is Singles’ Day — an annual online shopping day that originated in China, but has since spread worldwide — scammers are also looking to capitalize on the enthusiasm, Trend Micro said on Monday.
Many scammers are likely to send fradulent messages pretending to be online shopping sites asking people to provide personal information to obtain discounts or gifts, it said.
Phishing texts or e-mails with phrases such as “the product you ordered has arrived” along with a link are among common methods to trick people into clicking suspicious links that could compromise their personal information, the company said.
Some phishing links could be presented below text suggesting that the victim has won a prize from an online lottery, it said.
Such Web sites often include fake comments from other users, such as “I thought it was a scam, but I really received a Samsung Galaxy S20 today,” to enhance the scam’s credibility, it added.
People can fact-check the messages using Trend Micro’s anti-fraud chatbot Dr.Message on the messaging app Line or its Facebook page by pasting the text of the suspicious text or e-mail in a message to the service, the company said.
People should keep bills or receipts related to their online purchases, as they help with verification, the company said, adding that people should look for any unauthorized transactions on their credit card statement and immediately notify their bank of any unusual activity.
People should be vigilant in verifying online shopping apps, which might request personal information and access to a smartphone’s contact list, e-mail and text messages, the company said.
It is safer to buy things from credible, well-known Web sites, it added.
It is also better not to make payments by cash or money transfer, the company said, adding that using a credit card dedicated to online shopping would allow them to dispute fraudulent transactions.
People should frequently update the operating system on their computers or mobile devices to close security holes, the company said.
Installing anti-virus software on devices is also important, as it helps fend off phishing attempts, the company added.
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