Last week, we shared some of our recommendations for safer holiday shopping, with Black Friday in mind.
As we approach the full launch of these deals, as well as Cyber Monday, be sure to head this advice from our trusted partner, KnowBe4.
Scroll to see their five tips to help keep you protected from crime and scams when shopping online this weekend.
1. Value Personal Data Over Card Data - criminals may be looking to get you to fill out sureys or forms to receive a discount, when really they're looking to harvest information about you that will give them more than the numbers on your card.
2. Check Your Statements - an increase in expenses over the holiday season can make it easier for fraudelent charges to go overlooked. Run through each transaction on a weekly basis for the rest of the year to make sure there aren't any on-going uses, no matter how small the amount.
3. Stick to Sites You Know - be weary of new retailers boasting about a deep discount or free service during this time of year. Consistency is key to safe online shopping transactions. Definitely do not download any new apps to receive discounts from those sites this time of year!
4. Stay in Bounds - keep professional purchasing communications professional. Distrust any eBay sellers that want to take the conversation to email or other direct messging platforms. Ignore retailers that reach out to you via Direct Message on social media platforms, like Instagram. Resist clicking links from anyone if you don't exclicitly remember signing up for their email list or making a purchase from them in the past.
5. Don't Believe All Offers - phishing attacks will happen more during popular events, so keep an eye out for the flood of emails of once-a-year deals trying to entice you to click on their links. The end goal for these hackers is to harvest more personal details about you or to get you to install malware, like keyloggers or ransomware.
KnowBe4 has already noted a sharp increase this November in phishing emails related to sales and shopping special offers (Check Point Research):
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true...
