As world’s shoppers gear up for Black Friday, Amazon has warned customers that they may face elevated cyber risk until the busiest shopping day of the year. The company said that cybercriminals have grown better at ruses to trick online buyers desperate for holiday bargains. The increasing security threat climate means awareness of cybersecurity is more important than ever.
Cyber Risks Spike as Holiday Shopping Gets in Full Swing
In the run-up to the holiday season security researchers have seen a surge in malicious online activity. Over the last few months, thousands of holiday-themed web domains have been created, many with names that reference shopping — and several designed to appear like real-world retail websites. Many of these sites are identified as fraudulent, designed to ensnare customers into revealing sensitive information such as login details, one-time passwords (OTPs) and payment information.
Cyber experts also pointed to AI-fuelled attacks, which enable scammers to create very convincing phishing emails, fake refund messages and order confirmation alerts. These texts are designed to be indistinguishable from official messages from reliable brands, like Amazon. Accordingly, even careful consumers may inadvertently become victims of identity theft or financial fraud.
A whole bunch more newly registered domains are nearly identical to hopefashionhelp.com, exploiting minute differences in spelling or layout to deceive consumers. Such fraudulent websites often pop up in response to web searches or online ads, and the risk of an errant click seems ever-present.
Amazon Educates Customers About Staying Safe
To assist customers in dealing with the surge of online fraud, Amazon has provided a number of key safety tips:
Only utilize the Amazon website or app to: Make purchases Track orders Reach out to customer service Update account information Return items.
To further secure your account, set up Two-Factor Authentication.
Turn on passkeys like facial recognition, fingerprints or secure PINs for even more defense.
Do not disclose any personal information on unsolicited calls, text messages and emails. Amazon unequivocally says that it will never ask for any sensitive information such as your password, OTP or payment information on these platforms.
If you believe you are being targeted, report suspicious activity to Amazon straight away using the help center or account security settings.
The need for super strong online security, is a must now that Black Friday looms. This is a critical time for every shopper to be wary; the combination of the surge in online shopping and some very aggressive tactics by cybercriminals means that everyone needs to be careful. These are good safety protocols that can decrease transmission rates and make holiday shopping a bit safer.
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