RT.com
25 Nov 2021, 16:49 GMT+10
The FBI has urged people to be careful during online holiday shopping, since they expect an increasing number of scams this year due to alleged merchandise shortages and the pandemic.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center has received over 17,000 complaints about undelivered goods during the holiday season in 2020, worth a total loss of $53 million. This year the number might be even higher, due to alleged scarcity of merchandise and the ongoing pandemic.
According to the Bureau, tactics to bait online shoppers include discounts that seem too good to be true, such as offering hard-to-find items and unrealistic discounts, as well as social media posts that look like they have been shared by someone you know. This can result in money losses, identity theft, and stolen financial information via phishing and web skimming attacks.
On Tuesday the FBI also warned the online shopping public about brand phishing emails that can lead to stolen user credentials, payment details, and other personal information. Of the brands that are used for these phishing emails, almost half appear like Microsoft (45%), followed by DHL (26%), Amazon (11%), BestBuy (4%), and Google (3%), according to a Check Point Software report about April, May and June 2021.
The total number of identity theft reports in 2020 was 1.4 million, twice as much than in 2019, according to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) earlier this year.
The FBI has encouraged constant vigilance and shared tips on how to protect yourself from online shopping scams. These tips include being cautious of sellers who accept only virtual currency, never using public Wi-Fi to buy things, and if a deal sounds too good to be true, chances are it is a scam.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Arizona Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Arizona Herald.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, New York: With just weeks to spare before a potential government default, U.S. lawmakers passed a sweeping tax and spending...
PARIS, France: Fast-fashion giant Shein has been fined 40 million euros by France's antitrust authority over deceptive discount practices...
PALO ALTO/TEL AVIV: The battle for top AI talent has claimed another high-profile casualty—this time at Safe Superintelligence (SSI),...
FRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...
SACRAMENTO, California: California's multibillion-dollar farms are facing a growing crisis—not from drought or pests, but from a sudden...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Elon Musk's success has been built on government subsidies. Without...
(Photo credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images) Michael Lorenzen pitched seven scoreless innings and won for the first time in nearly a...
(Photo credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images) The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Daniel Lynch IV on the 15-day injured list...
(Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images) Willy Adames received a seven-year, $182 million contract in the offseason to join...
(Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) Addison Barger hit an RBI single with two outs in the 11th inning and the Toronto...