Republished November 30 with new data that illustrates the extent of the cyber threat during this year’s holiday shopping season.

With Black Friday now here, it’s clear that the dangers facing online shoppers are greater than ever. The latest reports suggest that fraudulent websites have increased by 89% compared to last year and almost 80% of shopping offers that land in inboxes are fraudulent. We’ve even seen Google search results distorted to direct traffic to dangerous websites.

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So it’s no surprise that the FBI has issued a new warning for online shoppers detailing the sellers to avoid on Black Friday, Cyber ​​Monday and throughout the holiday season. For all users of Chrome, Safari and Edge, which control 95% of the US browser market, this is an essential checklist to stay safe.

The FBI’s advice on which sellers to avoid consists of seven key points. Consider this your online safety check during the holiday season – don’t take any chances:

1. Do not purchase from websites before carefully checking the URL to ensure it is “legitimate and safe.” Websites should have the telltale secure connection padlock in the address bar and https at the beginning of the full address. If the site is not secure and the URL is obviously incorrect, move on.
2. Don’t buy from a site for the first time before doing some research and checking all available online reviews. Remember that reviews can also be fake. So don’t gloss over the first reviews you find.
3. If you use an auction site or similar marketplace, “be wary of sellers with predominantly unfavorable reviews or no reviews at all.” Look for sellers with a large number of completed transactions and positive reviews.
4. Do not buy from sellers “who act as authorized dealers or factory representatives of popular items in countries where such offers do not exist.” This is a well-known scam in which these stores accept orders and rarely ship goods. The goods shipped are usually counterfeits.
5. Also beware of sellers “who post an auction or listing as if they are located in the United States, but then respond to questions by stating that they are outside the country for business, family, or similar reasons .” This is also a typical scam in which the seller gives a plausible excuse for having an address or telephone number abroad. Move on.
6. Do not purchase from websites that provide unusual shipping options or offer to avoid customs controls or fees. Also, don’t buy from sellers you don’t know who require direct money transfers. Always use a credit card that offers additional controls and protection.
7. Do not pay for the items you purchase with prepaid gift cards. As the FBI explains: “In these scams, a seller will ask you to send them a gift card number and PIN. Instead of using that gift card for your payment, the scammer steals the money and you never receive your item.”

According to Check Point’s cyber research team, “Cybercriminals are working overtime – as Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday approach, threat actors are poised to exploit consumers hoping to take advantage of the annual discounts.” The team warns that “this year’s increase in Black Friday-related websites are 89% higher than the increase in the same period last year… Almost all of these websites claim to be well-known brands and almost none are classified as ‘safe’.”

Check Point offers a similar five-point checklist to the FBI:

1. “Check URLs carefully for misspellings or unusual host domains.
2. Make sure the URL starts with “https://” and displays a padlock icon.
3. When emails come in, compare the sender with emails that you know are genuine. Don’t click on anything you’re unsure about.
4. Don’t click through QR codes blindly.
5. “Never enter unnecessary details such as your Social Security number, and avoid entering additional information such as your birthday if it is not necessary.”

Check Point also gives some examples of the types of URLs designed to trick users into visiting fraudulent websites:

• Stüssy (Steatwear): stussycanadablackfriday(.)com
• Longchamp (bags): longchampblackfriday(.)com
• Wayfair (online home store): wayfareblackfriday(.)com
• SOREL (shoes): soreloutletblackfriday(.)com
• Crew (Retail): jcrewblackfriday(.)com
• IUN (shoes): black friday shoe(.)top

The additional focus on phishing is critical. This holiday season, Bitdefender warns that “cybercriminals have wasted no time in capitalizing on the frenzy,” as a staggering three out of four Black Friday-themed marketing “spam” emails are actually a scam based on it Aims to scam you out of your money Even install malware on your device to steal your credentials or data.

This year we’ve seen a surge in AI-powered phishing lures that make it all too easy to impersonate a popular, trusted brand. And these enticing, time-sensitive offers can be distributed to email addresses on an industrial scale.

“Remember,” the FBI warns, “if it seems too good to be true, it is because it is.”

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The retail numbers just released show how big a target the holiday shopping season has become for cybercriminals and why the FBI’s advice is so important. According to Adobe, there will be record spending this year. The forecasts suggest that “consumers will spend a record $241 billion online during the 2024 holiday season, an increase of 8.4% from 2023.” This sheer level of activity is driving the fraudster haven that the FBI is anticipating and warned others.

Salesforce is also forecasting record levels of spending this year and reports (via TechCrunch) that “Thanksgiving generated $33.6 billion in online sales worldwide, up 6%.” The U.S. market alone rose 8% to $8.1 billion. Europe also stood out with growth of 10%.”

From a cybersecurity perspective, the standout statistics in the Adobe report are not total spending, but the percentage spent on mobile devices. “During the 2023 holiday season, mobile spending temporarily overtook desktop spending and will become even more prominent in 2024. Adobe predicts mobile will reach a record 53.2% of online shopping this holiday season, accounting for $128 billion.”

This is crucial because it is much harder to detect a scam on a mobile screen than on a larger laptop or desktop. Shortened URLs and baits optimized for small screens, not to mention the one-click attacks of social media and messengers. This is all too easy on mobile phones as you can easily switch between apps and browsers.

It’s obvious why mobile spending is now so high, considering the convenience of sitting down to shop with friends and family without having to open a larger screen. According to Salesforce, mobile orders on Thanksgiving itself were up 3% year-over-year, accounting for more than 70% of all orders tracked on Thursday.

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ESET has now published a guide on what to do if you think you’ve been caught by a scammer on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Do this immediately. The sooner you act, the more likely you are to significantly reduce the magnitude of any losses.”

• “Immediately report the fraud to authorities such as Action Fraud in the UK or the FTC in the US
• Inform your bank and block your cards if necessary – request new cards
• Stop contacting the scammer and don’t tell them why
• Change any passwords that may have been compromised
• Freeze your credit to prevent fraudsters from opening new lines of credit in your name. You must contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies separately: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax
• Collect evidence of fraud if necessary.”