14 DAY TRIAL // With the holidays approaching fast and people desperately searching for the perfect presents to buy for their loved ones and for themselves, crooks began setting up fake eBay sites that promise fabulous deals on some really cool gadgets.
Trend Micro researchers found such a website which perfectly replicates a legitimate eBay page that offers an iPhone 4S.
While the websites are almost 100% alike, the only thing that differs is the product’s price and the currency it’s traded in. Also, the fake sites are hosted on domains that are followed by /www.ebay.ie/ to trick potential victims into thinking they're real.
Once the Buy It Now button is clicked, the unsuspecting user is taken to a page that requests tons of personal information that can later be utilized by the crooks to commit fraudulent activities.
When the form is filled with the required data, instead of the actual transaction, the customer is advised to contact the seller via email.
Now, since the holidays are approaching and anyone can easily fall victim to such attempts, I will take this opportunity to remind everyone about a few basic safety tips while shopping online.
First of all, the easiest way to identify a malicious website is by looking at the domain’s name in the browser’s address bar. If it looks suspicious or if it doesn’t display the padlock or the https string, symbols that prove the fact that the site is safe, you are most probably presented with a scam.
Never click on links received in an email, especially if they offer big discounts, instead access the website by typing its address in the browser yourself.
Finally, before purchasing something from a website that you haven’t visited before, make sure you read some reviews and customer opinions to check out its legitimacy. There are many situations where people end up paying for something that doesn’t exist.
