As Black Friday sales continue to soar online, cybersecurity experts have been quick to warn customers of scammers looking to capitalise on eager shoppers getting in on last-minute deals.
A cybersecurity consultant from Trend Micro told the Huffington Post UK that consumers should be aware of fake emails and websites containing malware designed to steal personal information.
Bharat Mistry said: “Staying safe online can be more challenging these days as cyber criminals are becoming much more sophisticated with their activities."
Websites laden with offers have shown record-breaking sales today with retailers such as Currys and PC World reporting a surge in web traffic, totalling at eight online sales per second.
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There are no signs of this boom busting anytime soon, with forecasts for online sales expected to reach £1.07 billion this year.
So while we clearly love shopping from the comfort of our homes, how do we protect ourselves from scammers?
Bharat Mistry, of Trend Micro told HuffPost: "In order for consumers to check the legitimacy of a retailer’s website, they can check the URL through promotional materials or social media profiles.
"Ensure that any transactions made are safely encoded with a HTTPS link in the URL and keep your Internet security software up to date – so any viruses or malware can be captured and removed straight away."
Here are five quick tips to keep in mind as you continue with your Black Friday bonanza:
- Read the contents of offer e-mails and view their source (typically the source domain will be slightly different to the legitimate domain)
- Do not click on links blindly in emails
- Go to the online retailers website (type the URL directly in the browser window)
- Ensure anti-virus and security software is up-to-date