Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and it's also a time when scammers are most active. Scammers use a variety of tactics to try to trick consumers into giving up their personal information or money. In this blog post, we'll discuss some of the most common types of scams that you may encounter around Black Friday, and how to protect yourself from them.
- Internet scams: Internet scams can come in many forms, such as phishing emails, fake websites, and malicious ads. Phishing emails are designed to look like they're from a legitimate company, such as a bank or credit card company. The emails will often ask you to click on a link or open an attachment, which will then install malware on your computer or device. Fake websites are designed to look like real websites, but they're actually created by scammers to steal your personal information or money. Malicious ads are ads that are infected with malware. If you click on a malicious ad, it can install malware on your computer or device without your knowledge.
- Voice scams: Voice scams are scams where scammers call you and pretend to be from a legitimate company, such as a bank, credit card company, or government agency. Scammers may try to trick you into giving up your personal information, such as your Social Security number or credit card number. They may also try to trick you into sending them money.
- Malicious emails: Malicious emails are emails that are infected with malware. If you open a malicious email or click on a link in a malicious email, it can install malware on your computer or device without your knowledge.
- Be wary of unsolicited emails and phone calls: If you receive an email or phone call from a company that you're not familiar with, be wary of giving out any personal information. If you're unsure whether the email or phone call is legitimate, you can contact the company directly to verify.
- Be careful about what links you click on: Don't click on links in emails or ads unless you're sure they're safe. If you're unsure whether a link is safe, you can hover over the link to see the actual URL. If the URL doesn't look like the website that it's supposed to be, don't click on it.
- Keep your software up to date: Make sure that your computer's operating system and security software are up to date. This will help to protect you from the latest malware threats.
One recent scam that has been reported is where scammers call consumers from a local mobile number and claim to be from Amazon Customer Services. The scammers will tell the consumer that they need to pay import tax on a recent purchase. The scammers will then ask the consumer to provide their payment information. This scam is designed to trick consumers into giving up their credit card information.
Tips for protecting yourself from this scam:
- Never give out your credit card information over the phone unless you're sure you're talking to a legitimate company.
- If you're unsure whether the call is legitimate, you can hang up and contact Amazon Customer Services directly.
- You can also check your Amazon account to see if there are any pending charges for import tax. If there are no pending charges, then the call is likely a scam.
Scammers are always coming up with new ways to try to trick consumers. It's important to be aware of the latest scams so that you can protect yourself. By following the tips in this blog post, you can help to protect yourself from internet scams, voice scams, and malicious emails around Black Friday.
