Advisory ID: ngCERT-2023-0040
Summary: The end of year holiday season has hitherto witnessed an increase in the number of Black Friday adverts providing attractive discounts for cheaper purchases of goods and services. However, it is pertinent to note that unsuspecting on-line shoppers could be targets of Cyber-attacks disguised as genuine retail brands, offering mouth-watering Black Friday deals. Cybercriminals take advantage of the Black Friday frenzy by setting up fake websites in order to trick unsuspecting customers into sharing sensitive information. Reports by Trend Micro, disclosed that the month of October alone, witnessed nearly 35,000 Black Friday scam-related sites seeking to lure victims, for further exploitation. Accordingly, it is advised that on-line shoppers and retailers alike should emplace necessary security measures to mitigate against Black Friday Cyber-scams.
Threat Type(s): Malware
Damage/Probability: HIGH/HIGH
Description: Black Friday Cyber attacks are usually phishing attempts that target online shoppers by using fake or counterfeit websites, emails, and text messages. Notably, scammers take advantage of increased e-commerce activity by impersonating popular marketplaces, premium brands, and gadget stores using fake URLs. By advertising big discounts on products, buyers are enticed to click on these fake URLs and share sensitive information, such as account passwords, payment details, or personal information that can be exploited for identity theft. Furthermore, some of these fraudulent websites can be used to infect the victim's device with malware or ransomware, while duping customers into purchasing non-existent or fictitious things. Threat actors may also use an account verification scam in which the victim receives a text or email informing them that their account has been compromised and that they must act quickly to secure it. The email will contain a clickable link or a phone number that will ostensibly assist in speeding the process of verifying and securing the account. However, if the target clicks the link in the text or email, malware may be deployed.
Consequences: A successful Black Friday scam could result to the following:
- Accounts and devicecompromise.
- Installation of malicious software.
- Non delivery of purchased items.
- Banking and personal information theft.
- Financial loss.
- Identity theft.
Solution:
The following measures should be adopted:
- Always verify links, websites, and email addresses, and be wary of a false sense of urgency.
- Be wary of deals that are too good to be true and advertised or linked through social media.
- Always double-check on the official brands' sites for information instead of following the sketchy links through.
- Avoid clicking on sponsored advertisements. Some scammers use "malvertising" to target customers, luring them to click on ads that then install malware that compromises their devices.
- Never send payment information via email, and avoid off-platform transactions to ensure refund options.
- To avoid the threat of credit card skimming, use virtual credit cards or third party processing sites which will help protect your cards.
- Don't be swayed by positive reviews; they can be faked or purchased.
- Resolve issues on the brand's website rather than via email.
- If you provided login information to any website, change your username and password right away. Also, if necessary, change your phone or bank card PIN.
- Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for bank and credit card access.
- When visiting retailers via links in emails or social media posts, be cautious—only click if you trust the source and can verify that the message is genuine.
- If you receive an email or text message about a delivery issue, do not click any links or call any numbers provided.
References:
https://cybernews.com/editorial/cyberattacks-black-friday-cyber-monday/