As we approach Christmas many people are often stressed and become a little less vigilant online as they juggle all the things they need to do for the festive season. However, this is the time of year we need to be more vigilant as the scammers are out in force and are approaching potential victims from all angles: websites, emails, SMS and even phone calls.
So, how do you recognise an online or email scam?
This isn’t the easiest of questions to answer as criminals use various means of scamming you out of your money. These include:
- Prizes or free gifts: This was one of the most common online scams in 2021. Free gifts or prizes were offered for a small payment towards postage and packaging or to accept the prize. Even if you pay, nothing shows up.
- Fake shopping websites: Another popular scam in 2021 were fake shopping sites and these are on the rise in 2022. The websites look legitimate, could even be a copy of a retailer you are familiar with, but when you purchase items they never arrive, or what does arrive bears no resemblance to the image advertising it.
- Phishing: This can happen via email or SMS (smishing) which will appear to be from a legitimate organisation, but when you click on the link within the message it takes you to a fake website which will steal all the data you enter, from email address, home address or credit card details.
Being able to identify these scams means you have to remain vigilant, but there are a few easy checks.
- Check Sender: With emails if the content looks interesting, before clicking on a link check who the ‘sender’ of the email is. If you hover over the email address or click on it you will see the full address. With a scam it is normally something like aylakdsjglsituhk@harods.com which not only has the company name spelt incorrectly but also has no real username.
- Avoid links: If you are not sure whether an email is genuine, don’t click on any links within the email and instead head to the website directly through your browser. If you can’t find the fantastic offer from the email on the website, it probably wasn’t genuine.
- Check websites: Although a website can look genuine, always check the address for odd spellings, or numbers replacing letters (e.g., Paypa1 or N1ke).
- Check reviews: Some shopping websites may be from companies you don’t know, but that doesn’t mean they are a scam. Before buying always check independent online reviews (e.g., Trust Pilot) to see whether people are genuinely happy with the service.
- Security: When opening websites always look for the little padlock in the address bar. If it isn’t there, then the site isn’t secure and it’s not recommended that you enter any personal data.
Sometimes you simply have to trust your instinct and ask yourself:
- Is this deal too good to be true? Are you being offered an iPhone 14 Pro for £200?
- Do you know the sender of an email? Have you purchased with them before?
- Is payment being asked in an unusual way? Bank transfer, MoneyGram or Western Union?
But vigilance and common sense isn’t always enough and it’s essential to ensure all your devices are secure in order to beat the scammers.
- Anti-virus/anti-malware software: By ensuring all your devices have the best anti-virus and anti-malware software loaded and kept up-to-date is the first line of defence against scammers.
- Passwords: Ensure all devices, apps and shopping sites have different passwords. These also need to be strong with between 8-10 characters including numbers, and upper- and lower-case letters. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t share these with anyone or write them down.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Adding MFA to your devices and any apps where it is available can help keep you safe online as not only is a password required but also a one-time pin code which will be emailed or sent to your phone. Don’t share this code with anyone.
- Secure internet: As tempting as it can be at this time of year to login to websites for online shopping on the coffeeshop’s free Wi-Fi, if it is unsecured, you could be providing scammers with your data.
Here at SupportWise we want you to be safe this Christmas, by following all of these tips or speaking to our knowledgeable team you can ensure all your devices are as secure as they can be.