despite Black Friday Not due for another couple of days Cybercriminals aren’t holding back from trying to cash in on their next shopping spree.
Cybersecurity researchers from Bitdefender have conducted a wide range of recent analyses, and found several scams that attempt to take advantage of gullible shoppers.
The most popular method seems to be a phishing campaign luring people in with massive discounts on designer bags and sunglasses, and then theft (Opens in a new tab) Their credit card information, when victims provide this information on specially prepared landing pages.
Fake polls, fake sunglasses
Besides fake Louis Vuitton bags, victims are also lured with fake Amazon and Home Depot gift cards, worth up to $1,000, as well as dummy surveys that promise people big rewards, like Pixel phones and Samsung Galaxy S21 phones. In some cases, the researchers also discovered fake PayPal coupons.
Through coupons and questionnaires, victims are invited to complete a task, and then – should they win the prize (and they always do, regardless of the answers) – all they need to do is pay the shipping cost, which the scammers claim to be around $5.
To make this payment, they are also required to give up all credit card information, including the expiration date and CVV number. Therefore, victims would not only make a small donation to the scammers out of ignorance, but would also give them access to their account, which they can then delete.
Just like with any other holiday, Black Friday is a prime event for scammers, and Bitdefender researchers are urging customers to be extra careful when looking for great deals.
“Don’t fall for great discounts that sound too good to be true,” they say. Even if you receive an offer that looks completely legitimate, do not click on the link provided, but rather visit the page directly, to ensure that you are not redirected to a malicious landing page.