The 90% trap: Important tips to avoid scams on Black Friday

 

 Black Friday

The 90% trap: Important tips to avoid scams on Black Friday

As the "Black Friday" sales season approaches , cyberattacks are on the rise. This raises questions about how scammers exploit shoppers' eagerness to steal their money, and how users can protect their data and funds from fraudulent offers.
Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, head of the Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Studies, told Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net that November and December witness the highest rates of electronic fraud globally.
This is attributed to cybercriminals focusing on exploiting the buying frenzy through strategies that appear to be irresistible offers.

Fake links

Dr. Ramadan reveals the most prominent methods of fraudsters: launching fake links impersonating major stores, and creating identical electronic pages for famous shopping sites such as Amazon, Noon and Jumia with similar titles that are difficult to distinguish, with the aim of stealing personal and banking data.
They also create fake promotional contests promising vouchers and huge gifts in exchange for email addresses or phone numbers, data which is later used for hacking or forced subscriptions to paid services. Furthermore, they advertise unrealistic discounts, sometimes exceeding 90%, to incite panic buying and create a sense of limited opportunity, leading consumers to act recklessly.

The methods also include sending malicious messages containing spyware, where attractive offers are sent via email or messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Messenger, accompanied by files or links that transfer malware to the user’s device, enabling the theft of passwords and bank card data.
For his part, Major General Abu Bakr Abdel Karim, former First Assistant to the Egyptian Minister of Interior for Media and Public Relations, offers 8 tips to avoid fraud during the sales season. He tells Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net: “Everyone should stick to official links only. Shopping sites should be accessed through trusted and pre-saved links, and any link received via private message or unexpected email should be avoided.”

The former security official advised checking the website address and making slight changes to the letters or extension, and stressed the importance of not sharing any banking information or passwords on websites or pages that are not completely trustworthy. He urged applying this precaution to all accounts, especially email and shopping accounts.

The security official also called for the use of secure payment methods, preferably temporary or limited-balance payment cards instead of main cards linked to direct bank accounts.
He advised ignoring any discount that seems unrealistic or illogical, as genuine offers rarely reach unreasonably tempting levels.

Major General Abdul Karim warned against downloading any files or applications that promote offers from unknown sources, and called for reliance on strong and continuously updated cybersecurity programs to detect malicious links and software.
Major General Abdul Karim concluded his warning by saying: “The ‘Black Friday’ season has become a prime target for fraud gangs who exploit psychological temptation and the element of speed. Therefore, the conscious consumer is the first line of defense, and he must treat every exceptional offer as a potential fraud attempt until proven otherwise.”