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.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS