A security expert has issued a sobering warning about scams criminals use to empty your bank accounts around the holiday season.
Speaking to The Sun, Darren Guccione said cybercriminals ramp up their efforts to scam unwitting victims.
Using the chaos of the holiday season, these criminals can drain your bank accounts while you’re none the wiser.
Hackers have devised multiple ways to extract money from victims from fake sales to hijacking family members’ social media accounts.
As much as the world loves it, social media isn’t always good. Product ads we see daily and ads for ‘unwanted gifts’ aren’t always sincere.
Darren told The Sun: ‘During the holidays, some scammers will pose as fraudulent sellers who ask for payment in gift cards.
‘They may advertise an item at an attractive price on platforms like Facebook Marketplace. After luring you in, the scammer insists that gift cards are the only accepted form of payment.’
After receiving the gift card codes, they disappear, leaving victims hundreds out of pocket.
Some criminals attempt to extort money from fake promotions online, Darren added.
Contests offering lush vacations can be legitimate, but many are fake, he said, to ‘collect personal information’.
He explained: ‘A good rule of thumb to remember is if a giveaway asks for payment, it’s likely a scam.’
Another terrifying tactic is hacking family members’ and friend’s social media accounts – which can also be used to break into your own social media.
Darren said: ‘Some scammers impersonate people you know, such as family members or friends, asking for money or sensitive information.
‘Using social engineering, they exploit emotional triggers and employ a sense of urgency to deceive victims and persuade them to act quickly without thinking.’
Metro previously wrote on how to protect yourself against cybercrime around the holidays.
Some more advice from the Cyber Helpline
• Some people are lonely at Christmas – this presents a good opportunity for romance scams and sextortion attacks.
• Lots of people have money concerns before and after Christmas – a good opportunity for investment scams and fake loans.
• Everyone is shopping – peak time for fake shopping sites, shopping fraud and fake communications from couriers/shops etc. This is likely to be exaggerated this year with a likely shortage of stock in shops.
• High emotions – family get-togethers and emotional time can lead to breakups, fights and domestic violence. We often see spikes in online harassment and cyberstalking and revenge porn around this time.
• Families communicating with each other online – people are expecting to click on online Christmas cards, emails etc. Good time to imitate messages from loved ones and deliver something malicious.
• New devices and young people online – lots of people will get new technology at Christmas and lots of young people will get their first devices. These devices need set up securely and new users need some education around staying safe online.
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