Protect Yourself from the 12 Scams of the Holidays

McAfee has released its annual “12 Scams of the Holidays” list to help you stay alert of the most popular ways cybercriminals scam consumers during the holiday season when surfing on digital devices.

In Asia Pacific, consumers are expected to spend more on e-commerce purchases than in North America. B2C e-commerce sales are expected to reach US$525.2 billion in Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific claims 46% of digital buyers worldwide this year according to emarketer.com.

1. You’ve Got Mail! – Look out for shipping notification and phishing scams. Be careful when you click on a shipping or phishing email because you may think it is legitimate especially when you are doing your holiday shopping online.

2. Deceptive Advertising – Be wary of dangerous links, phony contests on social media, bogus gift cards as these are some of the ways scammers try to steal your personal information.

3. Chilling Charities – This is the season for giving but be wary of fake charities that could reach you via email or are shared virally through social media.

4. Buyer Beware – Be sure to check your credit card statements vigilantly and stay on top of breaking news to be aware and prepared. Point of sale malware sometimes lead to exposing credit card information.

5. iScams – When downloading new mobile apps for Android or iOS devices, be careful of the most official-looking or festive apps that could be malicious and access your personal information.

6. Getting Carded – Be careful when receiving digital e-cards during the festive season. You would not want to get a Merry Malware. use well-known e-card sites but be careful of potential scams that cause you to download malware onto your device.

7. Holiday Travel Scams – It is also the season of travelling so be careful of fake online travel deal links which can access your information through logging onto infected PCs onsite.

8. Bank Robocall Scam – Spending on your card increases during the festive season and sometimes you may receive a fake phone call from one of these institutions from an automated or not “security agent” stating that your account has been compromised and requesting for personal information including account password to make changes.

9. ATM Skimming – Be careful when you withdraw cash from ATMs. Criminals can access your information at ATMs by installing skimming devices to steal the data off your card’s magnetic strip and either using a video camera or keypad overlay to capture your PIN. Remember to look carefully at your ATM for anything suspicious and cover the keypad when entering your PIN.

10. Year in Review Traps – These sort of articles are popular during the year end. Clicking on these types of links from work emails can sometimes infect and compromise the security of company devices.

11. BYO…Device – Be careful with your smartphones or tablets when you bring them out. Be sure to put in the appropriate security measures so that hackers cannot access the sensitive personal information and business data.

12. Bad USB Blues – Branded USBs are popular gift items. Be careful of undetectable malware which may sometimes be pre-installed on them.

McAfee has shared these safety tips:

• Do Your Research – to ensure the company you are working with is legitimate.

1. Do an online search of the company you’re buying items from to see if there’s any news about recent risks
2. Go to the company’s homepage to make sure it is a genuine business
3. Instead of clicking on a link in an email for a shopping deal, visit the site directly

• Analyze Apps – Review it first before downloading a new app.

1. Only download apps from an official app store and not a third party
2. If the app requests too many permissions, do not download it. It may be requesting access to information on your phone that you would prefer to keep private, and certainly more information than it needs
3. Use antivirus software and learn more about FakeInstallers here

• Bank Carefully  

1. If your bank calls requesting information, hang up and call them back through the official main phone number. It’s important to talk to your banker through the official number so you know it is legitimate
2. When withdrawing money, be aware of your surroundings. Check to make sure that you are in a safe place to enter your information. If anything looks amiss, leave
3. Inspect the ATM for loose wires or machine parts that may have been tampered with. This could indicate hackers trying to fix the machine for their benefit

• Stay Informed – Be aware of new cyber-attacks or threats in the marketplace.

1. Follow breaking news stories for new security breaches to stay alert and be on top of your game
2. Only shop for holiday gifts at retailers you know have not been compromised
3. Check your credit card statements often to make sure that you were not affected.

If you do plan to search for deals online, use apps or open shopping related emails, make sure your entire household’s devices have protection, such as the McAfee LiveSafe service, which protects PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones. Included in the service is McAfee® Mobile Security app, which protects your smartphone or tablet from all types of malware, guarding you from the latest mobile threats by offering enhanced privacy and backup features, location tracking, and the SiteAdvisor technology to help you steer clear of dangers when searching on a mobile device

Adrian

Middle aged curious individual trying to find a balance in keeping healthy and finding joy keeping fit. Because trying new food and drink is part of the work.

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