Cyber Thieves Could Target Black Friday And Christmas Shoppers, Say Experts
Black Friday shoppers in search of pre-Christmas bargains could face an increased risk from cyber thieves both online and in shops, say security experts.
Bargain hunters are expected to see an increase in phishing scams, with emails designed to look like genuine messages from familiar companies which either ask for payments details or encourage the reader to download an attachment containing malware.
Experts warn shoppers to be wary of emails containing links to bargain offers on Black Friday.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the annual shopping days following the US Thanksgiving holiday that have slowly made it across the Atlantic, are expected to see record sales, along with a huge increase on cyber criminal activities, which could carry on until Christmas and into the new year sales.
Increasingly sophisticated cyber thieves could also be targeting shoppers in store, as well as online.
According to the BBC, security company iSight reports that one gang has updated its software to target the tills in shops in order to steal payment details.
The 50 biggest retailers in the US are reportedly searching through their internal computer networks to see if they have been affected by the sophisticated Modpos malware which can grab payment data while it is briefly unencrypted in the memory of computer-based shop tills.
There have also been reports of criminals making fake copies of popular shopping apps in order to harvest customer payment details.
Image credit: AFP
