Electronic commerce is increasingly present in our day to day. More and more users are choosing to buy over the Internet instead of going to physical stores. We have at our disposal a wide variety of platforms and services. In addition, we must bear in mind that we can use desktop computers and mobile devices to make purchases. Of course, this also causes hackers to set their sights and try to attack. Especially at certain times of the year the risks are greater. In this article we are going to explain what 7 threats you have to watch when buying online this Christmas.
What threats should be monitored when buying online this Christmas
Cyber criminals take advantage of times of more purchases to deploy their threats. After all, they look for ways to get more success. We all know that at Christmas there are many who buy over the Internet. Much more than at any other time of the year.
That is why we must take this risk into account and know what are the main threats we can face. We wanted to collect 7 that we believe are the most important and that we have to monitor.
Fake Discount Coupons
One of the most frequent threats on these dates are fake discount coupons . You can reach us through social networks, e-mail or platforms like WhatsApp. Basically it is a supposed discount coupon for popular Internet sites where we can buy.
The point is that those discount coupons do not really exist. They may take us to a page controlled by hackers, make us download software or simply be that, a fake coupon that will not save us anything.
Messages that are actually Phishing attacks
Perhaps one of the most dangerous problems. On these dates it is common to receive SMS or emails with attempts at Phishing attacks . For example, you can tell us that our package could not be delivered. Of course, if we receive an SMS from Amazon, for example, where they indicate that our order could not be distributed due to an error, it is likely that we will create it precisely because at this time it is very likely that we have bought something through this popular platform.
They usually pose as important platforms that they know are widely used on these dates. They may ask us to fill out a form, enter our account, etc. We are actually delivering our data to a server controlled by the attackers.
Fraudulent ads
Fake ads also abound. In this case we can encounter this type of problem when surfing the net or when using legitimate platforms. Sometimes they may have been victims of an attack and now they display fake ads that may put our system at risk.
It is important to know how to detect this type of fake ads and not compromise our system for example when downloading an application to make purchases.
Impossible offers
This is a classic. We can find offers with a very cheap price if we compare it with other pages or platforms. You have to look very well at the fine print, as it could be a hook to introduce malware, sell us something we don’t want or just get our personal data.
Fake pages
Something similar to the above. We can run into pages that pretend to be legitimate but are actually a copy. They simply seek to steal users’ money and put our data. Most likely we never receive a product or if we receive it, it is not what we buy.
Spam with malware
You also have to take into account spam . It is something that we will most likely receive on these dates. Ads that come to our email with certain offers. Not everything is going to be dangerous, but you have to keep in mind that hackers can take advantage of these dates to deploy malware within those junk emails.
Ghost shop
In this case we refer to platforms or pages that appear in times like Christmas to take advantage of the pull. They can offer very varied products that are demanded by users. The problem is that these stores do not really exist and in a matter of days the web, the platform disappears and we never receive our order.
It is important that before buying we make sure of where we are doing. Do not rely on very succulent offers that do not offer guarantees. The payment method we use will be vital to be able to claim later.
Products that are not what we expected
This is something we can find throughout the year. However, in times like Christmas, this problem can increase. It basically means that we are going to buy a product that is offered as original and with specific specifications, but in reality we are receiving something that has nothing to do with it.
