Nov 21, 2012

Scammers Have the Best Deals on Cyber Monday

Some of you may have turkey on your mind, while others think past the feast and on to the online shopping.  Deals like “free Apple iPad if you click here” or “check out this site for 50% off all designer watches” sound too good to be true.  In fact, these deals are too good to be true.

The arrival of the shopping season brings more chances for consumers to fall prey to Internet shopping scams and cybercrime.  A record number of Americans plan to shop online this holiday season.   According to the National Retail Holiday (NRH) Consumer Spending Survey, 51.8 percent of consumers expect to utilize the Internet to purchase gifts and other holiday-related items this year.  In fact, the survey suggests that the average shopper expects to conduct nearly 40 percent of their holiday purchases on retail and company websites.  With cybercrime steadily increasing, consumers need to incorporate caution into buying decisions as they usher in the holiday spending season.

The world of Internet shopping offers vast possibilities to busy Americans looking for quick purchasing options.  According to NRH, comparative shopping options also represent a key portion of the Internet retail market.  As more Americans turn to the Internet for purchasing choices, hackers and thieves await greater gains through cybercrime.  A new study by Norton indicates that cybercrime claims 18 adult victims every second.  This means that over 1.5 million cybercrime victims are added to the digital misconduct list daily with losses averaging US $197 per victim globally.

With the shopping season preparing to enter full swing, cybercriminals target consumers with an array of Cyber Monday schemes, including fraudulent retail email promotions containing viruses, malware and hijacking mechanisms designed to spam victim contacts.  Other related schemes include phishing scams designed to lure consumers to fraudulent websites, inauthentic promotional offers and malicious posts on social media websites that encourage users to download videos containing harmful content.

Consumers and businesses share responsibility for making thoughtful decisions to help minimize cybercrime.  By implementing a few Internet safety procedures before shopping this weekend, buyers may avoid some common security risks.  For example, all Internet users should confirm the legitimacy of URL addresses and research the company through the Better Business Bureau before providing financial information.  Researching recent scams online may also reduce consumer Internet fraud, as cons receive considerable attention in chat rooms.  Finally, payment protection options, including PayPal, and security services, such as BillGuard, may assist consumers in keeping personal and financial information secure this buying season.  These few cyber security steps help make the difference between a contented buying experience and a lousy one.

Be sure to keep your wallets safe and your identities protected this holiday season.  For more tips on how to shop safely online, visit www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/dan-hendrickson/bbb-advice-wired-shoppers-cyber-monday.

For more info on online safety, security, and privacy, please continue to visit us here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. See also Hemu’s personal site.

Nov 15, 2012

Keep Out, I’m Still Home

We are all very good at using our common sense when we go on vacation, so that criminals, like those in the movie Home Alone, don’t decide to burglarize our homes while we are gone. We ask neighbors to take in our garbage, collect our mail, and turn on our lights periodically so it looks like our house is still occupied. And yet, we then go online and throw caution to the wind. Holiday photographs, airport check-ins and status updates about destination hotspots occur frequently on our profiles. With 78 percent of convicted burglars in a recent UK survey identifying the use of social media profiles as a means for targeting burglary victims, Internet users must show more caution when displaying vacation information.

According to the industry organization Airlines for America, U.S. airline carriers expect to transport nearly 24 million passengers during the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period.  As these travelers share photographs, check-in at destinations and provide status updates and tweets related to vacation plans, they also increase their vulnerability to home theft by unintentionally enticing potential thieves online.

Social media users share extensive details about their lives on profiles.  Users post everything from the mundane –dinner reservations and favorite shopping locations – to the most important details of their lives.  It stands to reason that posts of family photographs and vacation updates occur commonly during the holiday season.  Unfortunately, the risks associated with these types of posts are simple.  By betraying your location away from home, thieves recognize the opportunity to invade your property unhindered.

Posted and tagged photographs also represent a security risk for all social media users.  Cameras on smart phones assign GPS data to photographs.  When posted, these photographs provide interested parties with your physical location.  Consequently, prospective thieves may use this information to isolate your physical address or to ensure you are away from home.  The content within photographs also becomes appealing to criminals.  Images of valuable assets within your home or on your person may attract unwanted attention from thieves.

Although disclosing vacation information online increases risks to your property, users may reduce these hazards by following these basic security procedures:

  • Turn off location services on mobile devices and associated Internet destinations offering location tracking capabilities
  • Request that visitors and friends disable location identification in your home or when they share information about you online
  • Avoid making general posts about your location on profiles and refrain from broadcasting vacation details or specific travel plans
  • Perform ongoing profile maintenance to remove photographs with embedded GPS data
  • Only use status updates and checking-in capabilities when leaving a destination for home
  • Maintain stringent security settings on all social media accounts and only allow friendship requests from known individuals
  • Speak to relatives or trusted friends about your absence and implement home protection strategies
  • Wait until you arrive back home from your holiday before you post pictures

Holidays represent a source of temptation for vacationers and thieves alike.  It may seem tempting to share all of your trip details in real-time, but this information may also entice thieves.  Protecting your property from potential burglars means following the same safety rules online as you apply to face-to-face conversations – use caution as your guide.

Nov 9, 2012

Scammers Coming Together in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

The President has asked Americans all across the country to come together as a nation to help fellow citizens recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  As the community steps up, so do the scammers.

In the devastating wake of Sandy, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a new warning for all investors to show caution against potential investment scams.  As legitimate relief organizations, charities and investors combine efforts to address the destruction on the Eastern Seaboard, scammers seek opportunities to add to the list of victims through a growing number of schemes.

Unfortunately, investment scams and charity schemes occur frequently in the aftermath of natural disasters.  Numerous individuals faced enforcement actions by the SEC following Hurricane Katrina for fraudulent activities, including stock inflation and fictional business deals.   Based on these previous scams, the SEC now encourages investors to watch for trading cons promising quick, big wins and schemes where early investors receive payment from money acquired through new investor funds.

Other common disaster-related scams include fraudulent charities and phishing schemes aimed at obtaining personal and banking information.  In addition, hackers and identity thieves utilize natural disasters to create links to inauthentic videos and photographs requiring software downloads used to obtain personal information.  Sadly, the victims of natural disasters are not safe from scammers, as unaccredited contractors or clean-up agencies frequently con those most impacted by disasters by receiving funds to repair property damage they never intend to complete.

In times of crisis, genuine organizations heed the call to action and so do scammers.  The following tips may assist investors and consumers in avoiding fraudulent disaster-related scams:

  • Do not respond to unsolicited emails or text messages.
  • Avoid unknown links from emails or social media posts.
  • Show caution when approached by individuals soliciting for money donations via email.  Most authentic relief organizations do not send spam emails.
  • Only open attachments from known senders and avoid attachments claiming to provide disaster photographs or videos.  Such files may contain viruses.
  • Only contribute directly to established organizations and do not rely on third-party agencies to make contributions on your behalf.
  • Research all organizations through online searches.  Access the aid organization or charity website directly to assess its validity.
  • Do not provide any personal or financial information to any individual or agency soliciting funds.  You may compromise your identity and become vulnerable to theft by providing these details online.
  • Review the domain name.  Most websites for legitimate organizations end in .com or .org.
  • Investigate all contractors and clean-up crews to ensure accreditation.
  • Avoid financial opportunities promising large and fast returns.  Assess all investment opportunities using thorough company research.
  • For more useful information on charity scams, visit the FTC’s website.

Compassion in times of need is great as long as we are being compassionate to those in need.  Scammers don’t deserve your generosity.

For more info on online safety, security, and privacy, please visit us at SSP Blue, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.  See also Hemu’s personal site.