- Scammers take advantage of the holiday season to deceive buyers, experts warn
- Compelling ads, URLs and storefronts aim to entice customers to enter their card details
- Parcel Scams Encourage Buyers to Reveal Personal Information
Holiday shopping can be quite stressful, but not only is it important to get the right gift, but with the rise of online scams, it’s also important to keep your money safe and make sure your purchases are legitimate.
Around 86% of Brits say they’ve seen ads from “unknown retailers with scam-related URLs” this holiday season, so we know these sites exist and are increasing ahead of the sales season.
McAfee research has revealed this year’s top scammers’ tactics to trick shoppers: Top brands pose as fake ads, copied storefronts and fake URLs in an attempt to fool inattentive browsers.
Most counterfeited brands
Most commonly, impersonated brands are those you trust and that are popular during the holidays: high-demand items, limited edition items, luxury brands, and popular technology.
Fake websites created by scammers will appear legitimate and trick many buyers into entering their payment details.
Criminals will target brands they know people love and (crucially) are willing to pay high prices for. For luxury brands, this means that the five most impersonated brands are Coach, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Rolex and Gucci.
Fraudulent URLs from other brands also appear, highlighting consumer brands such as Apple, Nintendo, Samsung, Disney and Steam as particular targets of criminals. High demand for new products like Switch 2 and new phones or tablets from Samsung and Apple.
If it seems like you’re seeing them more often than before, you’re not alone. Almost one in five (19%) admit they have fallen for a scam at least once this season, but 29% of us believe we can spot them when they appear.
AI Risk
What’s different this year is the rise of AI. You can no longer trust photos, videos or reviews, and 58% of us are more worried this year than last.
“Fraudsters have always taken advantage of the holiday rush to exploit people looking for deals, but AI has made it easier for them to copy trusted brands with speed and accuracy that’s hard to detect,” said Vonny Gamot, director of EMEA at McAfee.
“From impostor websites and fake products to convincing emails and text messages designed to lure people in, scammers today use AI to create some of the most credible social engineering tricks we’ve ever seen. The best protection is to slow down and verify what you see.”
Stay safe from these scams by double-checking the URL, doing another site search in a separate tab if you have any questions, and going directly to a retailer’s site instead of viewing an ad—and remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Parcel problems
Unfortunately, the scams don’t end there. Even if you ordered something from a legitimate site, you may still be at risk. NetVoucherCodes research shows that UK couriers are expecting 1.29 billion parcels, so there are plenty of opportunities.
Package scams are one of the easiest ways for criminals to scam buyers. This time of year, with the popularity of online shopping, almost everyone will receive a package at some point. Criminals know this and will take advantage of that anticipation.
You’ve probably already received a “missed delivery”, “ghost package” or “incomplete address” scam, but when you’re actually waiting for a package, it’s pretty easy to fall for it. Remember, genuine couriers won’t ask you to pay a text message fee to receive your package, and you can always contact your retailer for help.
The easiest way to avoid these scams is to never click on the links sent in these text messages or emails, double-check the sender, and make a note of the tracking number originally sent; keep an eye on your package through the legitimate site with that number.
Unfortunately, the answer to staying safe is simply to be vigilant and know the tricks these scammers use. Do not enter your card details until you are sure the site is legitimate and be very careful with your personal information at this time of year.
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