Tis the season to be…..scammed? Tips to keep you and your family safe this Christmas

No I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to go “Tis the season to be jolly!”  But, unfortunately it’s also the season for clever “cybercriminals” to strike, and the best part is they save their greatest and most creative schemes for this time of year, taking full advantage of people’s good nature and turning a time of giving into a time of taking.  And what do they take? Your money, credit card information, identity and banking information just for starters.

It’s important to be a little more cautious while surfing the net for that perfect pressie for your loved ones this Christmas. So in the spirit of the season, I’d like to share with you some tips to avoid the most popular scams at Christmas time – I’ve taken these from McAfee’s twelve scams of Christmas report.

Scam 1:  Charity phishing scams – Be careful who you give to 

During the festive season, hackers take advantage of our generosity by sending e-mails that appear to be from legitimate charitable organisations. In reality, they are fake web sites designed to steal donations, credit card information and identities. If you intend to donate to a charity, always type in the charities web address or use a search engine – do not follow links emailed to you.

Scam 2:  Fake invoices from delivery services

Cybercriminals often send fake invoices and delivery notifications appearing to be from delivery service companies.  They send e-mails asking for credit card details or require users to open an online invoice or customs form to receive the package.  Once completed, the person’s information is stolen or malware is automatically installed on your computer.  I can speak from experience as a recipient of this scam – lucky for me, I didn’t open attachments or follow any links, however I’m sure if my kids had received it in their inbox they would be far less wary and more likely to think Santa had ditched the reindeers and modernised!

Scam 3:  The dangers of holiday e-cards  

We all want to be more environmentally aware and proactive, so the idea of sending a festive e-card is appealing, however beware.  Last year McAfee Labs discovered a worm masked as a Hallmark e-card and McDonald’s and Coca-Cola holiday promotions.  Holiday themed PowerPoint e-mail attachments are also popular among cybercriminals, so be careful what you click on. I have an included an example below.

Scam 4:  Christmas carol lyrics can be dangerous   

Is nothing sacred? Apparently not!  Even a search for Christmas carol lyrics, a festive screensaver or a holiday ringtone can lead you to a fraudulent web site.  Dowloading holiday themed files may infect your computer with spyware, adware or other malware and not the dancing elves you had hoped for. McAfee’s SiteAdvisor software is a free download which warns you which websites are potentially dangerous when using a search engine.

Scam 5:  Practice safe holiday shopping

It’s a crazy time of year, juggling school concerts, Christmas parties, end of year business meetings before the country shuts down for the summer, oh yeah and don’t forget the Christmas shopping.  It makes sense to utilise the internet and search for some bargains, but beware, while you shop and surf on open hotspots, hackers can spy on your activity in an attempt to steal your personal information – Remember never to shop online from a public computer or on an open Wi-Fi network.

I’m sure you’ll all remember to “slip, slop, slap” this summer while you’re in the sun, so maybe we should “beware, update, remember” while surfing the net:

Beware – Use your common sense, if you think an email is not legitimate or too good to be true, it probably is.

Update – How protected is your home computer from current and emerging cyberthreats? Download McAfee SiteAdviser – this gives you a “green light” when web sites are free from malware.

Remember – Never click on a link in an email and only use Wi-Fi networks that are secure.

To view McAfee’s 12 Scams of Christmas report and see what other threats are out there this Christmas click here.

If you’ve experienced any of these scams I’d love to hear about it. You can leave me a comment or email me at Cybermum@mcafee.com.

Have a happy and safe Christmas.

Moira

Tags: Cyber Security Mom, cybermum, Family Safety