The holiday season is a good time for scammers who seek to take advantage of the general craze for shopping and hunting for discounts to defraud consumers.
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While it is obvious that some sites and emails are fraudulent by their design or the spelling errors found there, others could trap even the most savvy.
You must therefore be extra vigilant when clicking on the links to take advantage of the offers that are proposed in the numerous emails that will be sent in the coming weeks.
“Even if you receive emails, it’s purely from companies, businesses with which you have done business, the Amazons of this world, Tanguay, Brick, Léon, whatever, the store, you will receive emails with offers special. Do not click on the offer. Go to the site,” warns Jacques Sauvé, cybersecurity consultant at Trilogiam, in an interview with LCN.
“The quantity is crazy”
The large number of emails sent by companies announcing their Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Holiday discounts helps scammers blend in with the crowd.
“Scammers know that people will click on anything and that you are lured. Times are difficult, the economy is not easy, expenses are increasing. So there we see offers, “50% off”, click here to shop” [et on clique]», says Jacques Sauvé.
These fraudulent promotions are also done by text message, and the same rule applies: you should not click on them and go directly to the company’s website to take advantage of the advertised discounts.
Same thing for social networks, where scams “flow endlessly”.
Difficult to stop fraudsters
Companies whose sites and promotional offer emails are copied have few means to stop the practices.
Many try to warn their customers by posting a message on their website to notify them that fraudulent emails are circulating.
The cybersecurity consultant, however, believes that companies should simply stop putting clickable links in the emails they send and simply invite their customers to go to their website to take advantage of discounts and special offers.
