Farewell to the year gone by! Safety measures concerning fraud during Christmas and New Year

We’ve covered this before, though it deserves repeating: we’re currently passing through one of the favorite periods of the year among cybercriminals. That’s right, the year is ending, and with it comes Christmas and New Year celebrations, which often trigger increased consumption among people. Some attempt to acquire gifts for their loved ones, while others simply want to buy something new to wear on New Year’s eve, kicking off the new year in style. The reason’s not important; the fact is that most Internet users log on to shop.

Black Friday is long gone, but don’t be fooled into thinking the danger has subsided. With just a few days to Christmas and New Year, which also heightens online shopping, scammers have plenty of incentive to set new traps. So, if you’re considering taking advantage of the offers at this time of year, it’s worth doubling your attention when it comes to certain scams and fraud often carried out by cybercriminals.

Basic tips

Generally, the tips for avoiding problems when doing online shopping over Christmas and New Year don’t differ much from other festive periods:

• Take care with phishing emails and chain messages promising gifts or promotions. Very often, these links direct the victim to a fake website with a form designed to steal personal information. When in doubt about whether a brand is truly distributing giveaways, visit the official website to find information there.
• Try to restrict your purchases to reliable stores. That way, you avoid acquiring an item through fake e-commerce that will never deliver your order. Carefully check to make sure the store is actually concerned when it comes to the safety of buyers and always take a look at reviews by other users.
• With facilitated payment methods growing in popularity, it’s common for scammers to use these resources for different types of fraudulent activity. Despite the practicality of these payment methods, it’s a good idea to use alternatives that allow refunds in the event of a scam, such as virtual cards.

Take care with year-end bonuses!

It is also important to remember that, during the last months of the year, many people receive bonuses or extra income. This makes the period even more attractive to cybercriminals, who take advantage of the increased financial activity to apply scams.

There are countless scams, such as messages warning of a problem with a customer’s account, a supposedly exceeded card limit, or even requests to update security information. With personal information in hand, criminals can carry out transactions, bypass security measures, and even gain access to new financial resources.

That’s why it’s essential to stay alert at all times. Financial institutions do not contact customers asking them to install applications on their devices, share passwords or card details, or make transfers to resolve supposed issues. They also never request that cards be handed over to couriers or third parties.