Protecting yourself during online holiday shopping season

Cyber attacks can rise by 70% in November and December. 5 on Your Side's Keely Arthur spoke with cyber security experts on what you can do to protect yourself online, and why younger adults tend to be victims more often.
Posted 11/24/2023, 10:35:09 PM Updated 11/25/2023, 1:58:07 AM

KIND TO PEOPLE. OFFICIALS SAY

THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO LEARN

WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH THE WHOLE

TIME. THE HOLIDAYS ARE THE

PERFECT TIME FOR SCAMMERS IN 2

OF THE MOST RECENT ATTACKS ARE

IMPERSONATING BANKS.

>> TREND MICRO RESEARCH SAYS

THEY HAVE DETECTED A WAVE OF

FAKE EMAILS IMPERSONATING

AMERICAN EXPRESS TELLING PEOPLE

THEY NEED TO CLICK ON A LINK

TO VERIFY THEIR ACCOUNT.

NOW THE OTHER SCAM E-MAIL LOOKS

LIKE THE TRANSACTION

NOTIFICATION FROM NAVY FEDERAL

CREDIT UNION. BUT DON'T CLICK

ON THAT LINK, AT LEAST TO A

COPYCAT VERSION OF THE BANK'S

WEBSITE THAT WILL STEAL YOUR

LOG-IN CREDENTIALS.

CYBERATTACKS SHOOT UP 70% IN

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. SO THIS

IS WHEN YOU'VE GOT TO BE ON

YOUR TOES ONLINE.

>> AND THIS IS A TIME WHEN

PEOPLE ARE OFFERING YOU A FREE

IPAD. THERE'S NO FREE IPAD ON

THE INTERNET. GUYS. NO FREE

IPAD FIRE INSIDE THE ARTHUR

LEARNED PEOPLE IN THEIR 20'S

ARE ACTUALLY THE ONES LOSING

MONEY TO THIS KIND OF FRAUD

MORE OFTEN THAN OTHER AGE

GROUPS.

TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE

THAT ARE THINKING, I HEAR THIS

EVERY YEAR. DON'T DO IT.

THIS IS THE YEAR TO PAY

ATTENTION. 3.5 MILLION CASES OF

FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT.

2.7 BILLION DRAINED FROM

VICTIMS. BANK ACCOUNTS.

>> AND THAT WAS LAST YEAR.

THE STATS ARE JUST OUT OF

CONTROL. CYBER SECURITY EXPERT

GRAHAM GIBSON, ANDRUS MUNIS.

TERRY, FULLY EXPECT THOSE

NUMBERS TO BE EVEN HIGHER.

WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT 2023 AND

SOME OF THOSE SCAMS ARE LITTLE

BIT MORE OBVIOUS AND OTHERS

IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO GET YOU

AN EMAIL.

>> TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A

LAST-MINUTE DEAL TO GET THIS

THING FOR 90% OFF. IT'S NOT THE

RISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

WILL MAKE IDENTIFYING THINGS

LIKE E-MAIL SCAMS, MORE

DIFFICULT. A LOT MORE PEOPLE

ARE GOING TO BE FOOLED OUT

THERE. AND GUESS WHAT THE

PEOPLE REPORTING THEY'VE BEEN

FOOLED ARE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS,

30 TO 39 YEAR-OLDS HAVE THE

HIGHEST RATE OF IDENTITY THEFT

IN 2022. AND 22 29 YEAR-OLD

REPORTED LOSING MONEY TO FRAUD.

MORE THAN OTHER GROUPS. ARE

THEY REPORTING IT MORE?

>> IS IT THAT THEY'RE USING

MORE TECHNOLOGY? IS IT THAT

THEY'RE MORE NUMB TO THE

THREATS OR IS IT A COMBINATION

OF ALL THOSE THINGS MIXED

TOGETHER, THEY JUST CLICK,

CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK AND

THAT'S IT. AND THEY ARE REALLY

DISTRACTED WITH A LOT OF THINGS

>> ALL RIGHT. ONE OF THE

BIGGEST THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

IS THERE ARE GOOD DEALS OUT

THERE. WE KNOW THIS, BUT IT'S

GOOD TO JUST GO WITH THE SITE

THAT'S REPUTABLE. GO WITH WHO

YOU KNOW WHO YOU TRUST, EVEN

IF IT'S GOING TO COST A LITTLE

BIT MORE IN THE MOST CAREFUL.

YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE

FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM BECAUSE

IT'S THAT PART OF THE SCHOOL

AND YOU CLICK AND IT'S LIKE

WHICH IS NOT THE CORRECT LABEL.