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These numbers have likely grown even further around Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping fever.
Alongside fake online shops, scammers also use phishing messages to trick you into clicking on dangerous websites.
According to the2024 F-Secure Living Secure survey, 54% of cyber scams are conducted via email.
Suspicious messages
Emails and SMS are the most common way for scammers to spreadphishingattacks.
If you aren’t sure, directly double-check with the company you have placed your order with.
However, there are still some red flags to look out for that’ll uncover these malicious websites.
According to the2024 F-Secure Living Secure survey, 54% of cyber scams are conducted via email.
For starters, you should check that the domain name of the store is legitimate.
Dodgy websites are also generally characterized by an amateurish design, grammar mistakes, and poor spelling.
Unusual payment methods
The offer seems legit and so does the website.
“Sometimes criminals build up fake shops to collect payment card details and personal information, but sometimes this leads to direct financial loss,” said Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor at NordVPN.
So, spotting Cyber Monday red flags isn’t always easy.
These services are often free to use, including the one developed by NordVPN andIPVanish.
Enablingtwo-factor authenticationis also advantageous in case your account gets compromised.
Beware that getting an unsolicited verification notification could mean that someone is trying to access your account.
If so, you should change your password as soon as possible.
