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Black Friday tips to stay safe and avoid scams while shopping online | Science & Tech News

The threat of fraud and cyber scams is a 365-days-a-year problem when it comes to online shopping.

But just as the rate at which retailers hit you with promo emails scales up at this time of year, so too does the risk of falling foul of criminals trying to access your bank account.

According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), shoppers lost more than £10m to cyber criminals over last year’s festive shopping period.

With Black Friday sales under way and Christmas on the horizon, Sky News enlisted some cybersecurity experts to offer advice on how best to stay safe and avoid scams this year.

Spotting a dodgy email

A favourite tactic of fraudsters is to draw you in with an email that looks remarkably legitimate, seemingly offering an exclusive deal at one of your favoured retailers.

It is, as Mike McLellan of Secureworks puts it, a “classic scenario we’d expect to see around Black Friday”.

An important thing to look out for is the domain name of the sender’s email address – is it a close match, but with something slightly off? Think @amaz0n.co.uk, for example.

“On smartphones, that kind of detail is usually hidden,” advises Mr McLellan. “So tap on it and check where the email has come from.”

You should also keep an eye out for misspellings and odd formatting.

However, the NCSC has warned that criminals are likely to use increasingly accessible AI tools to produce even more convincing scam emails, websites, and adverts than usual.

If you’re at all unsure, it’s good practice to go to the website directly, rather than click on any links in the email.

Fake websites

Some scams may direct you to a retailer’s login page to enter your account information.

It could look perfectly normal, and you go ahead and pop in your username and password, while in the background, criminals capture that information and use it themselves.

Chris Bluvshtein, of VPNOverview, says: “Every website should have a valid security certificate, and you can tell by the little padlock icon next to the URL.

“If a website doesn’t have one of these, then don’t give your bank details or valuable information.”

These can be some of the hardest scams to notice yourself, but banks have become very good at alerting you to “unusual logins” and flagging any subsequent dodgy transactions.

“If you suspect something bad has happened, consider changing your password,” Mr McLellan says. “And checking your bank activity.”

Text message scams

Another classic of the Black Friday scam genre is a text message suggesting you have a parcel waiting with DHL, Royal Mail, or some other delivery provider.

“Quite often you will be expecting something when you get these texts – but again keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t look normal,” says Mr McLellan.

A good indicator that something is amiss is if the text asks you for payment and includes a bit.ly link.

You should not click on these.

An example of a text message scam. Pic: Royal Mail
Image:
An example of a text message scam. Pic: Royal Mail

The rise of ‘Qishing’

An emerging threat over the past year is an extension of phishing using QR codes.

Secureworks has dubbed it “Qishing”, when criminals use them to direct unsuspecting consumers to fraudulent websites that could steal their personal information.

Director of threat intelligence, Rafe Pilling, says: “We’re so used to seeing ‘scan this code’ to register, view a menu, order drinks or food to a table, or even enter competitions via the big screen at events stadiums, that consumers are thinking less about what they’re actually scanning.

“As the hype around holidays like Black Friday drives more urgency in consumer actions, we can expect to see more cyber criminals taking advantage with Qishing.”

Password managers and mobile payments

Modern smartphones and web browsers offer some useful baked-in features to help you stay safe.

Both have password managers and generators, which will come up with randomised options for you to lock your accounts and then store those behind a master password – or even biometrics like facial or fingerprint recognition.

Consider multifactor authentication as well, says Mr McLellan, for an extra layer of security.

Apple and Google Pay are good payment options if the retailer accepts them, as they protect your bank details.

“It’s best to use them instead of your debit card,” says Mr Bluvshtein.

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A customer sets up Face ID on his new iPhone X at the Apple Store Union Square on November 3, 2017, in San Francisco, California. Apple's flagship iPhone X hits stores around the world as the company predicts bumper sales despite the handset's eye-watering price tag, and celebrates a surge in profits. / AFP PHOTO / Elijah Nouvelage (Photo credit should read ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
Image:
Set up facial recognition on your phone and use it to protect your passwords

Avoid shopping on public networks

Black Friday promotions will often try to entice you with limited time deals, alerting you to them via an app notification, text message or email.

If one arrives while you’re out and about, it could be tempting to jump straight to it.

But shopping on public wi-fi networks, like those you might find at railway stations and on trains, is a bad idea, according to Mr Bluvshtein.

“Public wi-fi rarely has safety protocols such as passwords in place, and hackers can piggyback and steal unsecured banking details and sensitive information without you knowing,” he says.

What to do if you suspect you’ve been scammed

Even with the best will in the world, there may come a moment where you suspect the worst.

But try not to fret – there are steps you can take to limit the damage, or prevent any from occurring at all.

“Keep an eye on bank accounts and if you see anything unusual, get in touch with them,” says Mr McLellan.

“Banks have got very robust fraud controls these days – and that’s why it’s best to use credit cards if possible.

“If you think any of your online accounts have been compromised, change the password, and try not to reuse them across different retailers.

“We do recognise that some of these have a technical bar to them, but if nothing else, at least keep an eye on what’s happening and be vigilant about your online activity.”

Euro 2022: Scams and unofficial resales warning amid huge demand for England tickets | UK News

England’s magical run to the Women’s Euros final has led to huge demand for tickets to the game, and a warning that scams and unofficial resales could see people turned away.

Adam French, personal finance editor at The Money Edit website, said: “Tickets for Sunday’s final at Wembley are in hot demand.

“But the risk is clear, you could pay hundreds of pounds for unofficial resale tickets and not get in.”

He said if fans cannot get tickets officially “you’re better off watching the match at home”.

The Lionesses booked their place in the final after thrashing Sweden 4-0 on Tuesday.

The Money Edit said those who missed out on the chance to buy a ticket for the final may have the legitimate option of finding a friend or colleague with tickets who cannot attend, if they are willing to transfer the tickets.

However, tickets should be transferred before they “activate”, the website said.

More on Women’s Euro 2022

Those attending the game were also reminded to take photo ID, in case additional checks are needed on the day.

Read more: How England’s Lionesses found the perfect blend to reach Sunday’s final

The website also warned that fraudsters may try to sell duplicate print outs of legitimate tickets, or complete fakes, to passers-by on the street.

A Uefa spokesperson told The Money Edit: “All tickets to the Uefa Women’s Euro 2022 final are issued by Uefa and are subject to strict terms and conditions which prohibit their unauthorised advertisement, resale or transfer.”

The spokesperson said Uefa actively enforces its ticketing terms and conditions, including by monitoring the internet, and will take action (including cancelling tickets) where unauthorised advertisements are identified.