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Buying gifts for your beloved, don’t waste money on a scammer: why cybercriminals love March 8th

On the eve of Women’s Day, not only men in a hurry to buy gifts, but also professional cybercriminals become more active. Don’t let yourself be fooled – follow basic rules of digital security.

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A year ago, according to Solar JSOC, it was on the eve of March 8 that there was a 20% increase in malicious mailings on the holiday theme. Cybercriminals use similar patterns of “work” for different major events, whether it is a clearance sale like “Black Friday” holidays or other significant media occasions. Only the content of deceptive schemes changes, while the methods of influence and distribution channels remain the same. And here is the result: after each such holiday scammers collect a very solid “catch” from victims caught on phishing pole.

Scammers reach victims, as a rule, in three ways: emails, advertisements in social networks and advertising platforms, as well as messages in messengers and SMS. They play on basic emotions, such as greed. The tool is a call for urgent action for example, the promise of a big discount that is about to end . Most often scammers create clones of web-pages and mailing lists of real stores and companies. On the eve of March 8, it is very likely that fake pages of supposedly cosmetic brands, flower stores and other gifts will appear in the network. It is also very likely that there will be fake delivery service sites which was a very popular fraud scheme in 2020 , clones of popular clothing and electronics stores.

What you need to remember on the eve of March 8 not to get caught up in one of the fraud schemes? 10 rules from the Roskatchestvo Center for Digital Expertise:

Try not to follow the links in the advertising letters to the stores’ websites. It may be a fraudulent copy which only allows you to pay for the product transfer money to the scammer but of course does not allow you to receive it. Enter the address of a famous store in your browser bar yourself and check if it really has the promotion the letter is about.

Always pay attention to the domain name of the site: fraudulent resources have names similar to the known stores, but written with mistakes or substituted symbols.

Check the date of creation of the site with Whois-services. If the page is a couple of weeks or a month old, it’s highly likely fake, created for the holiday for profit.

Make sure that the site uses the “https” protocol and has a valid security certificate the “https” symbols and the lock icon in the address bar . Otherwise, never enter your personal and payment information on the site.

Check the product and store reviews. If there are none, or they are exceptionally positive and written at about the same time – you are most likely a fake. Read reviews of the online store on third-party resources, not on the site of the online store itself.

Indirect indicators of fakes are also: the requirement of compulsory prepayment, the lack of availability of pickup and the lack of an opportunity to pay upon receipt. These three factors should alert you and warn that you may be facing a fraudulent site.

Compare prices. Before buying pay attention to the price of the goods in comparison with offers from other stores. If the price is much lower than the market price, especially in a period of high demand, there is a high probability that you will receive a product of dubious quality or not receive it at all.

Check the details of the online store before buying. On the fraudulent sites, most often it’s the details of a physical person, card number or e-wallet. Such sites should not be trusted.

Do not fall for manipulations which include: pop-up banners, campaigns with timers with time to spare, “this product is viewed by N people together with you” inscriptions, and many others. All these techniques should not drive you to make a purchase – first make sure that the site can be trusted.

Always keep anti-virus on your computer and phone to prevent malicious software from infecting your account for example, Trojan horses and cybercriminals from stealing your money.

Ilya Loevsky, Deputy Head of Roskachevo.

“The most favorite ploy of swindlers is very low prices of goods and services. Many people want to save money and buy gifts more profitable, and of these there are a huge number of those who do not know the rules of digital security, or are too self-confident in the network. These are the potential victims of cybercriminals. Among them, there are bound to be those who will follow a link from the letter, believe the suggestion of the site and everything looks so plausible!● You will enter your payment data in the hope of getting a bargain and
 end up with zero on your card. Even if you think it will never happen to you, there are probably people around you who have already been “ripped off” despite their overconfidence. Learn from their mistakes – follow digital security rules”

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 4
  1. Everly

    Are there specific warning signs or red flags to look out for when purchasing gifts online on March 8th to ensure we’re not falling prey to cybercriminals?

    Reply
  2. Delaney

    If cybercriminals love targeting people during special occasions like March 8th, how can we protect ourselves from falling victim to their scams when buying gifts for our loved ones? Are there any specific warning signs or preventive measures that we should be aware of?

    Reply
  3. Giselle

    How can we identify and avoid falling into the traps set by cybercriminals who take advantage of special occasions like March 8th to scam people when buying gifts for their loved ones?

    Reply
  4. Zoe Fletcher

    Why is March 8th particularly attractive for cybercriminals to carry out scams when people are buying gifts for their loved ones?

    Reply
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