Christmas time is the best time of year for many people, also the internet criminals. Janus R Nielsen from the antivirus company www.mysecuritycenter.com warns against the major threats and provides tips on how you can have a safe Christmas online this year.
1: Facebook
A report from Facebook earlier this year showed that there are about 83 million fake profiles on Facebook. At the same time, Christmas is the time of year when we have a golden opportunity to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances. This combination means that you should be extra careful not to accept requests from people you do not know, warns Nielsen. If a scammer has managed to get your acceptance for a friend request and then gets you to install a fake application, he can send mails, links and apps out to all your contacts. You must also be careful about what links you click on, or what apps you install, even if they turn up on your friend’s wall.
2: Digital Christmas cards
Digital Christmas cards are a popular and easy way to send others a warm greeting. However, you must hold back for a moment before clicking the link. If it is scam, the link might take you to a website that installs spyware on your computer, so that your personal information will be registered. Make sure you know the sender and beware if the text in the email is written in bad English.
3: Webshops
More and more people choose to shop for their Christmas gifts online, and therefore we will see an increase in fake web shops at Christmas time, selling high class products at very low prices. Often with brands like Ralph Lauren, Canadian Goose and Mulberry, but it can also be sunglasses, designer shoes or expensive electronic equipment that is sold at very low prices. In order not to end up giving your credit card information to the wrong people, and even wait in vain for your purchases, you can do a little research before you finish your purchase. Look carefully after the URL, since almost all of the domains are .com, but uk, english, British, England, Britain is often combined with the product sold, e.g. mulberryuk.com. Another danger signal is the language, stay away if it is bad English filled with errors. Look for contact information such as phone numbers, address and VAT numbers – they are often non- existent. And finally, discounts of up to 70 percent on quality brands are often unrealistic. Check prices on price comparison sites such as Pricerunner.co.uk. And remember, if it seems to be too good to be true, then it is often true, Nielsen says.
4: Christmas-phishing
Phishing attempts are very common at Christmas time, and the scammers creativity is impressing. Phishing is a method that aims to entice you to actively give your confidential information out so that fraudsters can gain access to credit card details, bank accounts, passwords, etc. and thus steal money from you. Examples of some typical Christmas-phishing tricks:
– Confirm your information
Your bank, Pay Pal or credit card provider sends you an email asking you to verify your account by entering logins and credit card information. It can also be a mail stating that a certain amount has been drawn of your account for a Christmas gift, you never bought, and that you must click on a link to cancel. If you do so, a spyware program will often be installed on your computer so fraudsters can pick up everything you do. A good rule to keep in mind is that serious companies will never ask you to confirm sensitive information in an email, so delete it, if such one lands in your inbox. Contact the companies directly if you are unsure.
– Charity
Many people want to make a difference for others during the Christmas season, but be critical if you are approached by charities, asking for donations. The money is often does not go to ensure clean water in Tanzania, but directly in the Internet criminals’ pockets. It will also be a good idea to contact the organisation directly.
– Christmas Lottery
Congratulations, you won a million dollars in the Christmas lottery! All you have to do is click on a link to verify your information, or transfer a small amount to the scammers so they can complete the transfer. Delete these emails or text messages immediately.
5: Mobile apps and ringtones
Fake apps on Android phones in particular is a growing problem, and during the Christmas season the problem will be even larger. Nielsen warns against the many Christmas games and ringtones with Christmas songs, many of them can be harmful and install viruses on your smartphone. Check reviews and user comments about the app before you download it and read the conditions carefully to know what you give the app access to. If there are no reviews of the app, you should stay away from it. If you have an Android phone, it might be a good idea to install an antivirus program, says Nielsen and recommends security apps with a high detection rate from companies like MYMobileSecurity, AVG or Lookout.
6: Christmas Auctions
Who does not want to make a bargain for Christmas? Beware of the fake Christmas auctions that crop up at Christmas time and advertise with iPad Mini, iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S III for 10 pounds. Many of these “penny auction” sites are not based on bids from real people, but from programs that bring the prices artificially up, and if you are the lucky one who gets to buy the product, you should feel lucky if you receive it. Again, check telephone numbers and contact information and read the fine print, if you cannot stay away from these sites.
7: Christmas holidays
Many people use the holidays for travelling, but beware if you suddenly receive an email regarding a hotel booking, you don’t remember making. To click on the attachment to see what it is about, you risk getting your computer infected with spyware or viruses. The problem is not new, but lately we have seen known hotel search engines like booking.com infected by scammers. Nielsen recommends that you take a critical look if there are any mails with attachments that you know nothing about and that you always use an updated antivirus program.
8: Credit Cards
Christmas is the credit card era. A good advice is to always consider credit cards as cash because in the Internet criminal´s eyes there is no difference. Look for official signs for safe payment when you shop online. The web page server must be approved by PBS, this ensures that unauthorised persons cannot intercept your credit card information. It is also a guarantee that it uses a SSL connection, so all information relating to the payment is transferred encrypted.
