Ten tips from the National Police to avoid being scammed on Black Friday

To help people prevent fraud during the busy shopping season on Black Friday, the National Police have put together a ten-point advice. Police cybercrime experts say that prepaid or single-use virtual cards and credit wallets are the best ways to protect yourself from fraud. They also say that you shouldn’t make quick, impulsive judgements based on notifications like “last chance” or “48-hour discount.”

The authorities want us to know that cybercriminals have modified the way they defraud people. They are now running “phishing” and “smishing” campaigns that tell victims to call phone numbers that the crooks give them.

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So, the National Police have put out these ten guidelines for safe shopping:

1. Be careful of deals that seem “too good to be true.” If you discover a very expensive item on sale for a very low price, be careful because it can be a hoax to get your money or personal information. Check costs on a few different sites. A big divergence from the average is usually a sign of trouble.
2. Put legitimate brand websites or retailers you trust at the top of your list. The URL in your browser should start with “https://” and be precisely the same as the store’s real domain.
3. Check the website for warning indicators. Details like bad design, low-quality photos, badly translated words, or blatant spelling issues sometimes give away a fake website.
4. Use safe ways to pay. Prepaid or virtual cards are the best way to buy things online since you can only take out the exact amount you put on them, which limits the amount you can take out if someone steals your card. Also, it’s better to pay using a credit card than with a direct bank transfer.
5. Don’t click on links that look fishy. Be very careful with emails, texts, or social media messages that you didn’t ask for that have links to special deals or offers. If you want to take advantage of a certain deal, type the address into your computer or use the official app to get to the official website.
6. Don’t send your private information across channels that aren’t safe. Be careful of any message or call that requests for private information such passwords, card numbers, PINs, or verification codes.
7. Be careful of calls or messages that try to trick you into giving them money. Not only do cybercriminals make phoney websites, but they can also call you or send you WhatsApp messages pretending to be a person or organisation you trust.
8. Don’t use public Wi-Fi networks when you shop. If you need to connect in a public place, think about utilising a VPN to secure your connection. Never enter passwords or credit card numbers when using public Wi-Fi that isn’t secured.
9. Protect your accounts and gadgets. Make sure your computer and phone’s operating systems are up to date and that you have good antivirus software.
10. If something goes wrong, act fast. Don’t wait if you think you’ve been scammed or see something strange on your account. Call your bank, stop the transfer or block your cards, and tell the police about what happened.
    
    Podcast for the Police
    
    The National Police started a new campaign yesterday to help people avoid becoming victims of cyber fraud on Black Friday. It’s a series of one-minute micro-podcasts on Spotify in which officers from the Central Cybercrime Unit talk about the most common sorts of cyber frauds. Every Friday, a new episode of this series will come out. It will give people important tips on how to prevent being scammed in a way that is easy to understand. The program has started with the first two episodes to help people avoid the most prevalent frauds during the Black Friday shopping season. These episodes talk about digital “skimming” and “phishing.”

Author: Derek Appleton