Cyber Monday Scams

On Cyber Monday as millions of people take to the web, criminals could be taking notice. The FBI says with increase sales is a growing risk of cyber scammers surfing for your information. If you missed Black Friday deals, Cyber Monday is your chance to save some cash and you can find online deals from the comfort of your home, but this online shopping day brings some extra security risks.With deals on just about every shopping website experts warn some deals could be a scammer’s bait.”If a product seems way to good to be true more than just free shopping and 20% off I would look at it with a very critical eye,” said Mike Bellman who is a Socket Internet Specialist.The FBI released a warning to all cyber shoppers about what to avoid. First off fake ads and websites, Bellman says consumer’s web address could be the first red flag.’Look at those web addresses very carefully, read them specifically, see where the colon slash slash is and make sure it says https: which the s stands for secure that signifies that website has been issued a security certificate,” said Bellman.Another main problem is something called “phishing” or messages trying to get information from you. The email or text message will send you a link or ask you questions then use that information to hack your account.”People click that link, put in their information and send their money off to another world and they’re out their money,” said Bellman.To protect yourself, don’t respond to spam messages, don’t click unknown links, avoid filling out personal information and if you can try to contact the business you are looking to buy from.”Really make sure that what you see on your computer is legitimate, look for that secure transaction, look for that banking information, don’t click ok or submit before you know what’s going on,” explained Bellman.If you do believe you are a Cyber Monday scam victim then act quickly. Bellman suggests “call your bank, call your credit card company let them know you believe you were involved in a scam they took your money, they took your information, you need to cancel those accounts, close them, you need to contact law enforcement.”If you believe you received a scam e-mail you can file a complaint with the internet crime complaint center. They’re website link is “www.ic3.gov.”