As more consumers pick up their smartphones and tablets to go holiday
shopping, cyber crooks are trying just about everything to dupe them out of
their hard-earned money.
Forty percent of identity theft victims were targeted while making online purchases in 2011, according to an identity fraud report by Javelin Strategy & Research. Meanwhile identity fraud increased by 13 percent, with more than 11.6 Americans falling prey to the scams.
To keep you protected, we asked Robert Siciliano, online security expert for the software company McAfee, to list off the season's hottest scams and how to avoid them.
Phony E-tailers
The saying "if it looks too good be true, then it probably is" applies here. To set up their phony shops, scammers grab HTML code from a well-known site, then "sell" similar merchandise at a larger discount, explains Siciliano. But buyer beware: "Once you pay, they have the customer's information and you'll never receive the product," he says. Then before you can blink an eye, they'll start racking up charges on your dime. Clearly you shouldn't bother with these sites in the first place, but if you're concerned you've come across a Best Buy or Target imposter, check for misspellings, weird urls and "an overall dysfunctional site," says Siciliano.
Mobile Malware
With 33 percent of apps asking for more info than they might ever need, you can never be too careful, Siciliano says. If you've purchased the app from iTunes or Google, chances are it's been vetted for any suspicious activity. But if you bought it from a third party site, there's a good chance you'll download some malware. "These apps haven't been properly vetted for having a malicious component, so they might be used to spy on your device, see what text messages you send, what apps you click, and most importantly your username and passwords," he says. And they're definitely after your Social Security and credit card numbers, he adds. "They'll do anything to get paid."
Social Media Traps
"Criminals are setting up fake profiles on Facebook and Twitter, and those pages often have a number of dangerous things, one being that they're infected and once you start clicking those links, they'll infect your device," says Siciliano. Even worse, these links are often designed to get you to spill your personal info. Don't fall for it.
Phishing
Much like the social media trap, these text or email messages offering discounts are nothing more than a big fat hoax. They'll lure you to click a link and before you know it you'll wind up on a shady site or have downloaded spyware onto your device.
Bogus Gift Cards
Say what you will about gift cards, but those pieces of plastic are still a popular gift. With so many people snapping them up, scammers are rigging third party sites to sell fakes or manipulating the cards at stores and voiding them, says Siciliano. To dodge the scam, only buy the cards kept behind the counter in stores, or buy them at a mall kiosk so you know that you're getting the real thing.
E-Cards
Even hilarious e-cards are prone to criminal mischief sometimes. "Some of these are being used to infect your device and often have links to get you to download something or disclose your personal info," Siciliano says. "You'll want to really delete these and just tell people you prefer to receive paper cards."
If the card was sent in a zip file, be especially wary, he adds.
Forty percent of identity theft victims were targeted while making online purchases in 2011, according to an identity fraud report by Javelin Strategy & Research. Meanwhile identity fraud increased by 13 percent, with more than 11.6 Americans falling prey to the scams.
To keep you protected, we asked Robert Siciliano, online security expert for the software company McAfee, to list off the season's hottest scams and how to avoid them.
Phony E-tailers
The saying "if it looks too good be true, then it probably is" applies here. To set up their phony shops, scammers grab HTML code from a well-known site, then "sell" similar merchandise at a larger discount, explains Siciliano. But buyer beware: "Once you pay, they have the customer's information and you'll never receive the product," he says. Then before you can blink an eye, they'll start racking up charges on your dime. Clearly you shouldn't bother with these sites in the first place, but if you're concerned you've come across a Best Buy or Target imposter, check for misspellings, weird urls and "an overall dysfunctional site," says Siciliano.
Mobile Malware
With 33 percent of apps asking for more info than they might ever need, you can never be too careful, Siciliano says. If you've purchased the app from iTunes or Google, chances are it's been vetted for any suspicious activity. But if you bought it from a third party site, there's a good chance you'll download some malware. "These apps haven't been properly vetted for having a malicious component, so they might be used to spy on your device, see what text messages you send, what apps you click, and most importantly your username and passwords," he says. And they're definitely after your Social Security and credit card numbers, he adds. "They'll do anything to get paid."
Social Media Traps
"Criminals are setting up fake profiles on Facebook and Twitter, and those pages often have a number of dangerous things, one being that they're infected and once you start clicking those links, they'll infect your device," says Siciliano. Even worse, these links are often designed to get you to spill your personal info. Don't fall for it.
Phishing
Much like the social media trap, these text or email messages offering discounts are nothing more than a big fat hoax. They'll lure you to click a link and before you know it you'll wind up on a shady site or have downloaded spyware onto your device.
Bogus Gift Cards
Say what you will about gift cards, but those pieces of plastic are still a popular gift. With so many people snapping them up, scammers are rigging third party sites to sell fakes or manipulating the cards at stores and voiding them, says Siciliano. To dodge the scam, only buy the cards kept behind the counter in stores, or buy them at a mall kiosk so you know that you're getting the real thing.
E-Cards
Even hilarious e-cards are prone to criminal mischief sometimes. "Some of these are being used to infect your device and often have links to get you to download something or disclose your personal info," Siciliano says. "You'll want to really delete these and just tell people you prefer to receive paper cards."
If the card was sent in a zip file, be especially wary, he adds.
By Jill Krasny
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