14 DAY TRIAL // Symantec has spotted several spam and scam campaigns that leverage Black Friday and Thanksgiving. Black Friday takes place on November 29 and millions of people are expected to take advantage of the major discounts promised by most retailers.
However, spammers and cybercrooks are also leveraging the event for their own benefit. They’ve started sending out emails with attractive offers for watches, cars, gift cards and other items.
Experts warn that some of these emails are designed to lure internauts to all sorts of shady websites, while others point to bogus surveys that ask victims to hand over personal information.
In many cases, the products ordered from websites advertised via aggressive spam runs are not delivered. Victims can also end up paying for counterfeit products.
If you’re going to do some Black Friday shopping online, make sure you only access the websites of trusted companies.
Be careful when you’re asked to hand over personal information. Make sure that the website you’re on is protected by an HTTPS connection.
Avoid clicking on links or attachments contained in unsolicited emails. The more tempting the deal is, the more likely that it’s part of a malicious scheme.
Finally, make sure your antivirus, operating system and the other pieces of software you have installed on your computer are updated.
Here are some examples of Black Friday and Thanksgiving spam email subject lines: “Black Friday Digital Camera,” “Find Black Friday Deals,” “iPad Air Black Friday prices posted (90 percent savings),” “Make Thanksgiving extraordinary with fall flowers for $19.99,” “Wow! Thanksgiving bouquets, just $19.99,” “Look 23lbs thinner by thanksgiving” or “Receive increased spending limits on your card this Thanksgiving.”
Also, take a look at the following gallery to see what the emails might look like:
