JUST IN TIME for holiday shopping, the FBI reminded the US population to beware of the various types of online frauds that tend to ramp up around this time of year.
It warned wibblers against spam emails that might contain malware or attempt to lure them into phishing traps. Shawn Henry, assistant director of the FBI's cybercrime division, said that online criminals try to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting users.
The FBI said unsolicited emails try to steer victims into bogus online stores, hoping to 'sell' punters merchandise that's never delivered and gather consumers' credit card numbers and authentication codes. Spam emails and fake websites can look convincingly real, even using actual company logos and website links, while they use devious means to defraud shoppers.
Online scammers sometimes even direct their victims to legitimate companies' websites but launch popups over them attempting to grab personal information, the FBI warned.
Banking, credit card and other information that Internet scamsters scarf up is usually sold on to other cybercriminals who later hit accounts for cash withdrawals and unauthorised purchases, according to the bureau.
It said bogus emails often try to entice victims to click on links to read fake greeting cards hosted on malicious websites, which then download malware onto gullible users' computers.
Other spam attacks purport to warn consumers that one of their banking or credit accounts has a problem and include malicious links to phishing websites that try to get them to enter their account numbers and passwords or PIN codes.
Another phishing spam variation are surveys that solicit cooperating wibblers to enter their bank account information in order to receive payment for their participation.
The FBI encouraged online crime victims in the US to file complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and suggested the following tips to avoid falling for the online grinches' holiday shopping ploys:
All standard stuff but worth repeating. ยต
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