FBI Warns Chrome, Safari and Edge Users – Don’t Buy From These Sites

On By Littum

With Black Friday now here, it’s clear that the dangers for online shoppers are greater than ever. The latest reports suggest that scam websites are up 89% on last year and almost 80% of shopping offers hitting inboxes are fraudulent. We’ve even seen Google search results poisoned to send traffic to dangerous websites.

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Small surprise then The FBI has issued a new warning to online shoppersthat lists the sellers to avoid on Black Friday, Cyber ​​Monday and throughout the holiday season. For all users of Chrome, Safari and Edge, which control 95% of the US browser market, this is a must-have checklist to be safe.

The FBI’s advice on which sellers to avoid comes down to seven key points, think of this as your online security check this holiday season – don’t take any chances:

  1. Don’t buy from sites until you’ve carefully checked the URL to make sure “it’s legitimate and safe.” Websites must have the revealing padlock for secure connection in the address bar and https at the beginning of the full address. If the website is not secure until the URL is not obviously correct, move on.
  2. Do not buy from a website for the first time until you have done some research and checked any available online reviews. Remember, reviews can also be faked, so don’t skim over the first one you find.
  3. If you use an auction site or similar marketplace, “be wary of sellers with mostly unfavorable feedback ratings or no ratings at all.” You want sellers with a large number of completed transactions and positive reviews.
  4. Don’t buy from sellers “acting as authorized dealers or factory representatives for popular items in countries where such offers would not be available.” This is a well-known scam where these storefronts take orders and rarely ship items, and the ones they do ship are usually counterfeit.
  5. Also, beware of sellers “who post an auction or ad as if they live in the United States, but then respond to questions by stating they are out of the country for business, family emergencies, or similar reasons.” Again, this is a typical scam where the seller will offer a plausible excuse of having an overseas address or phone number. Come on.
  6. Do not buy from websites that specify unusual shipping arrangements or that offer to bypass customs checks or fees. Also, don’t buy from sellers you don’t know who request direct wire transfers. Always use a credit card, which provides extra control and protection.
  7. Do not pay for items you purchase with prepaid gift cards. As the FBI explains, “in these scams, a seller will ask you to send them a gift card number and PIN. Instead of using that gift card for your payment, the scammer will steal the money and you’ll never receive your item.”

According to the cyber research team at Check Point“cybercriminals are working overtime – with Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday approaching, threat actors are poised to take advantage of consumers hoping to shop the annual discounts.” The team warns that this year’s “increase in sites related to Black Friday is 89% higher than the increase in the same period last year … Almost all of these sites mimic well-known brands, and almost none are classified as ‘safe’.”

Check Point offers a similar five-point checklist to the FBI’s:

  1. “Check URLs carefully for misspellings or unusual host domains.
  2. Make sure the url starts with “https:// and shows a padlock icon.
  3. When emails come in, refer the sender to emails you know are real. Don’t click on anything you’re not sure about.
  4. Don’t blindly click through QR codes.
  5. Never enter unnecessary details such as your social security number and avoid entering extra information such as your birthday where it is not required.”

Check Point also provides some examples of the kinds of URLs designed to trick users into visiting fraudulent websites:

  • Stüssy (Steatwear): stussycanadablackfriday(.)com
  • Longchamp (bags): longchampblackfriday(.)com
  • Wayfair (Online Home Store): wayfareblackfriday(.)com
  • SOREL (Footwear): soreloutletblackfriday(.)com
  • Crew (detail): jcrewblackfriday(.)com
  • IUN (Footwear): blackfriday shoes(.)top

The extra focus on phishing is crucial. This holiday season, Bitdefender warns that “cybercriminals have wasted no time trying to capitalize on the frenzy,” with an incredible 3 out of every 4 Black Friday-themed marketing “spam” emails now actually being a scam, aims to scam you out of your money or even install malware on your device to steal your credentials or data.

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This year we’ve seen a deluge of AI-generated phishing lures that make it all too easy to imitate a popular, trusted brand. And these enticing, time-sensitive offers can be pumped out to email addresses on an industrial scale.

“Remember,” warns the FBI, “if it seems too good to be true, it is.”