PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Black Friday may be gone although the holiday shopping season is far from over.
Cyber Monday is back, time to find last-minute holiday deals from online retailers.
While its in-person equivalent has been around for nearly a century, cyber security expert Angel Kern says Cyber Monday dates back roughly 20 years.
“Cyber Monday originated kind of like, we didn’t want to quit shopping on Black Friday, so when we went back to work, we were still searching to see if there were any deals online.”
Experts have noticed an increase in online scams during that time.
“40 years ago, we didn’t anticipate that everything would be online; our banking, our purchasing, our shopping, so it’s imperative today we design everything with security in mind first and functionality later,” Kern said.
Typical online scams include phishing, free schemes, and fraudulent purchases.
It’s around this time of year that scammers target the most vulnerable shoppers, like the less-technically capable.
“The email this time of year is 50 to 100 percent more than normal, a lot of your retailers are emailing you their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, but you have got to resist clicking on any links in those emails,” Kern said.
What other tips to evade scammers?
Avoiding using public Wi-Fi when online shopping.
Routinely check your banking information to ensure your money is secure.
And don’t respond to calls, texts, and emails from groups claiming to be retailers or delivery services.
Report instances of fraud to your bank and local police departments.
“You’ve got to trust nothing, zero trust is the age that we live in, and verify everything, validate, check, and double-check everything before you do anything,” Kern said.
Kern encourages people to visit the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency for more ways on how to stay safe online.
