14 DAY TRIAL // The Holiday season is here for Americans, and it will soon be for the rest of the world as well. To prevent the yearly avalanche of scams and phishing emails based around this topic, the FBI has issued a special PSA (public statement announcement) just around this subject.
The FBI's cyber-security specialists are recommending that users stay alert during this time of year since criminals might use their interest in acquiring gifts for the holidays to trick them into handing over personal details or even financial information.
The Bureau's staff is warning users of offers that sound "too good to be true," especially those received via emails or spotted on social media. Users should also stay clear of sites offering both items and discount coupons since most of these can be harvesting stations for criminals interested in acquiring PPI (personally identifiable information). Criminals can later sell this data online to other groups or make fraudulent operations.
Scammers may target you via emails, social media, mobile apps, or in real life
FBI's experts also warn users to be wary of offers posted on their friends' social media accounts. An offer shared by friends does not guarantee that the account was not compromised before, and a criminal may be posting on their behalf.
Additionally, users should also avoid entering personal details in mobile apps as well, since there's been a rise in campaigns targeting mobile users, not only those using desktops.
When purchasing gift cards from stores, the FBI says that users should examine the back of the gift card to see if the scratch-off area has not been tampered with or re-applied after being already used by someone else.
If users purchase airplane or concert tickets, the FBI recommends users not to take pictures of the ticket and post it online. If they do, barcodes and other identifiable elements should be covered. This is because scammers can easily recreate barcodes using modern technology and resell it to multiple other people, which might cause the issuing company to cancel the original.
Below is a list of tips and recommendations issued by the FBI in their PSA, which you should read and apply every day of the year, not just for this Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year.