The holidays are one of the busiest times when people go online to shop! They are getting flooded with emails with deals from what appears to be a well-known company. Or they go online and start shopping and a pop-up window appears with discounts. It is very hard to train your mind to being cautious while you are online.
Hackers can impersonate a well-known company in many ways. They can send an email that looks like it is from a well-known company, they can create pop-up windows to appear on your screen at any given moment, and they can create a website that looks similar to a legitimate company you normally buy from. They can also create fake social media accounts and send deals to your account. You think it is legit but once you click on the deal you’ve then been compromised.
Stay vigilant of what appears in your email, in your browser, and on social media. It only takes one click to send your personal and financial data to the hacker. That one click could cost you whatever is in your bank account or whatever is left on your credit cards.
As humans we don’t tend to be cautious of what we are clicking on and what sites we are buying from. Double check the URL of the website, double check the sender’s email, double check the return email address, and don’t click on anything just because it tells you too. And remember if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is a scam.