Black Friday is just around the corner and with it, the massive increase in cyber threats. These are dates when cybercriminals take advantage of these opportunities to steal personal data, funds and spread malware. On this, Kaspersky has been monitoring threats related to online shopping, especially during massive sales events, and notes that in 2024, cybercriminals have carried out more than 38 million phishing attacks, targeting large markets, banks and technology retailers.
Between January and November 2024, the company’s solutions blocked more than 38M phishing attacks related to online purchases, payment systems and banking institutions. 44% of these attacks used banking services as a decoy, a significant increase from the previous year.
“This year, dark web marketplaces mirror the pricing strategies and marketing tactics of legitimate online retailers. Some even offer Black Friday-style promotions, such as discounts and combined packages, similar to the seasonal sales found on conventional websites,” says Marc Rivero, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky.
Cyber threats for Black Friday
Scammers often impersonate large retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy, sending fake emails offering exclusive discounts and directing to fraudulent websites. They also use fake surveys with raffles to collect personal data and money from victims.
Retail Cyber Threats Increase Almost 25% Ahead of Black Friday
Kaspersky experts have tracked fraudulent activity, finding that stolen data is either used directly or sold on the dark web. Full sets of credit card data, known as “fullz,” include detailed information such as card number, expiration date, CVV code, cardholder name, billing address, and phone number.
Security recommendations
To enjoy Black Friday safely, Kaspersky experts share some recommendations:
- Don’t trust any links or attachments received in the mail, check the sender before opening anything
- Check the websites of online stores before entering any information: is the URL correct? Are there spelling errors or layout problems?
- Protect all the devices you use to shop online with a reliable security solution, like Kaspersky Premium, which protects its users from a wide variety of shopping scams
- If you want to buy something from an unknown company, check the reviews before making a decision
- Even if you take every precaution possible, you probably won’t know if something is wrong until you check your bank or credit card statement. If you’re still receiving paper statements, don’t wait for them to arrive in the mail—log in online to check if all charges are legitimate. If they are not, contact your bank or credit card company immediately to resolve the situation.
