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SHOPPING SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
This monthly publication is provided courtesy of Dewayne Chappell, President of Divergys
OUR MISSION:
“As a business owner, you don’t have time to waste on technical and operational issues That’s where we shine! Call us and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever!”Dewayne Chappell
It’sOctober,whichmeansthebiggest onlineshoppingdayoftheYEARis justweeksaway:CyberMonday. Unfortunately,it’salsoopenseasonfor cybercriminals.Becausepreparationisthe bestprevention,we’recoveringthesix mostcommonshoppingscamsthistime ofyearandhowtoavoidthem.
It’s Open Season For Shopping Scams
Thankstocybercriminals,whatshouldbe aseasonoffestiveshoppingisnow dangerousforconsumers.Accordingto theFederalTradeCommission,shopping scamswerethesecond-worsttypeofscam intheUSin2023.Andonlinescamsare attheirworstduringtheholidays. AccordingtoTransUnion’s2022Global DigitalFraudTrendsreport,therewasa 127%increaseindailyfraudattempts
betweenNovember24and28compared toJanuary1throughNovember23.
Duetothehighvolumeofshopping activityduringtheholidayseason, cybercriminalsdon’thavetoworkhardto findpotentialvictims.Butit’snotsimply volumethatcontributestotherisein attacks;consumerstakemorerisksduring theholidayseason.AccordingtoNorton’s 2022CyberSafetyInsightsReport,nearly oneinthreeadults(32%)worldwide admittedtotakingmoreriskswithonline shoppingclosertotheholidays.Lastminuteshoppingpressureorexcitement aroundscoringbigdealsresultsin commonmistakes,includingclickingon unverifiedlinks,usingpublicWiFifor transactionsandignoringwebsitesecurity redflags.
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Cybercriminalsexpectshopperstomake mistakes,andtheyhavetried-and-truetactics forstealingyourmoney.Watchoutforthese sixscamsthatappearthistimeofyear,and protectyourselfthisholidayseason.
6 Common Scams During Black Friday And Cyber Monday And How To Avoid Them
1.
Fake Coupons: Scammersdistribute fakecouponspromisingsteepdiscounts. Thesecouponsareoftensharedvia e-mail,socialmediaandfakewebsites designedtomimiclegitimateretailers. Remember:ifitfeelstoogoodtobetrue, itprobablyis.
How to avoid: Alwaysverifyacoupon bycheckingtheretailer’sofficialwebsite orapp,andavoidclickingonlinksin unsolicitede-mails.
2.
Phony Websites: Tostealpersonal information,fakewebsitesmimic legitimateonlinestoresusingsimilar logos,brandingandURLsthatareonly slightlydifferentfromtheofficialsites.
How to avoid: Checkforsecurewebsite indicatorssuchasHTTPSandapadlock
3.
iconintheaddressbar.Readreviewsand quicklysearchthewebsite’slegitimacy beforemakinganypurchases.Pay attentiontotheURLforanyunusual charactersormisspellings.
Fake Delivery And Nondelivery Scams: Scammerssendfakedelivery notificationsorclaimapackageis undeliverabletotrickyouintoproviding personalinformation.
How to avoid: Trackordersdirectly throughtheretailer’swebsiteorapp. Avoidclickingonlinksinsuspicious messages,andbecautiousofunsolicited deliverynotifications.
4.
Fake “Order Issue” Scams: E-mails claimingaproblemwithyourorderand askingforpersonaldetailsarecommon. Thesemessagesoftenlooklikethey comefromwell-knownretailers.
How to avoid: Contactcustomerservice directlythroughtheretailer’sofficial channelstoverifyanyissues,andavoid providingpersonaldetailsthroughlinks inunsolicitedmessages.
5.
Account Verification Scams: Scammerssende-mailsortextsasking youtoverifyyouraccountinformation. Thesemessagesoftenincludelinksto fakeloginpages.
How to avoid: Neverprovidepersonal detailsthroughlinksinunsolicited messages;instead,logindirectlytoyour accountthroughtheofficialwebsite.
6.
Gift Card Scams: Scammersoffer discountedgiftcardsorrequestpayment viagiftcards.Oncethecardnumbersare provided,thescammerusesthebalance, leavingthevictimwithaworthlesscard.
How to avoid: Purchasegiftcards directlyfromreputableretailersand neverusethemasaformofpaymentto unknownindividuals.
Avoid Scams And Create A Safer Shopping Experience
Nothingwillkilltheholidayshoppingspirit like$1,000worthoffraudulentchargeson yourcreditcardorgiftsfromphonysitesthat neverarrive.Cybercriminalstakeadvantageof thefestiveshoppingrush,andconsumers’ tendencytotakemorerisksduringthistime onlyamplifiesthedanger.Byverifying sources,checkingwebsitesecurityand avoidingunsolicited links,youcan enjoyasafer shopping experience thisseason!
It’scoming...
Thatdayahackerstealscriticaldata,renderingyourofficeuseless...
Thatdaywhenyourbankaccountorcreditcardiscompromised... Thatdaywhenyourcustomers’privatelivesareuprooted...
CybercriminalsandhackersareconstantlyinventingNEWwaysto infiltrateyourcompany,stealyourassetsanddisruptyourlife.The ONLYwaytoSTOPTHEMisthis:
YouMustConstantlyEducateYourselfOnHowToProtectWhat’sYours!
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FormerprofessionalcyclistLanceArmstrong waswidelycelebratedforhisseven consecutiveTourdeFrancevictoriesfrom 1999to2005Acancersurvivorandelite athlete,hewasaherotomanyHowever,in theearlyandmid-2000s,hiscareerwas marredbyahighlypublicizeddopingscandal. TheUnitedStatesAnti-DopingAgency strippedArmstrongofhistitlesandbanned himfromprofessionalcyclingforlifeafter concludinghehadusedperformanceenhancingdrugsthroughouthiscareer.
Armstrong’spublicmistakecosthimover $100million,hiscareer,hisreputationand manyfriends.Buthechosenottocurlupin thefetalpositionandlosewhathestillhadleft: hiswellness,lifestyleandfamilyHeembraced hismistake,eventuallyrebuildinghis professionalandpersonallifeToday, Armstrongisanentrepreneur,philanthropist, podcaster,authorandspeakerwhoisopen aboutwhatittooktogofromherotozeroto humanAtarecentindustryconference, Armstrongspoketoentrepreneursabouthow hesurvivedhisdownfallandrebuiltacareer andlifehe’sproudof.
Choose An Authentic Path Forward
Afterbeingbannedfromprofessionalcycling, losingendorsementsandmanypersonal relationships,Armstrongfelthehadthree choices:liedownandgiveintothesuffering, retainsomeofhisendorsementsbybecoming thefaceofanti-dopingcampaignsortryto rebuildonhisownHechosethelatter“Antidopingwasn’tmylife’swork,anditneverwill be,soIchoseamorerenegadepath,”he explains.“Ittooklonger,butIwalkmypath everyday,I’mgladIchosethepathIdid.”
Armstrongfocusedonhispassionfor investing,includingearly-stageinvestmentsin companieslikeUberandDocuSign,which eventuallypaidoffinspades.
Authenticityinhispersonallifewasessential, too“Wealllivetheseinterestinglives,andit’s justabigcanvasAttheendoftheday,weget tolookatthepaintingandsay,‘Whatdoyou think?Howareyou,Lance,asafriend?How areyouasafather?Howareyouasa husband?’”hesaysWorkingonbeingagood father,partnerandfriendkepthimfocusedon hispathforward.
Maintain Wellness
Despitetheupheaval,Armstrongmaintained importantroutineslikecyclingand swimming,andmaintainedtherhythmof stayinghealthyandfocused.Still,the experiencewastraumatic“Ihadtodoalot ofworktoremedythat,”heexplains“I’m talkingdeepwork,tryingtounderstand earlylife,earlycareer,thedownfall,where wegofromhere….I’vedevotedatonoftime onthat”
Lean On Your People
Afterhehadadmittedhismistake,Armstrong losthalfhisfriendsandworkingrelationships. Still,closefriendsandfamilyremained“As muchasthatsucks,youseethesefolkswho arelike,‘I’mhererightnow.Nowwego. Nowwerebuild,’”Armstrongrecalls.“Ithink that’sthemostimportantthing:ifthereare everanyheadwindsworkingagainstyou,that teamoffolksaroundyouhastobetheright team.Peopleareeverything.”
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SHINY NEW GADGET OF THE MONTH
TRIVIA
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Resiliency Amid Internet Outages
Businessesareincreasinglyrelianton theInternet.CRMplatforms,virtual meetingapps,onlinesales,POS systemsandevenofficeprinters requiretheInternetsoyoucando everythingyouneedtodeliverhighqualityproductsandservicestoyour customers.However,Catchpoint’s 2024InternetResilienceReport statesthat43%ofbusinesses estimatedtheylost“morethan$1 millionduetoInternetoutagesor degradationsinthemonthpriorto thesurvey.”
It’stemptingtoblametheInternet providerwhentheInternetgoesout. Unfortunately,outageshappen. Pointingfingersatvendorswon’t changethat.Instead,thesolution mustcomefromwithin.
B.
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The Pumpkin Plan, by Mike Michalowicz, is a must-read for smallbusiness leaders wanting to carve out a niche and grow their business effectively, especially during the bustling holiday season Michalowicz presents a straightforward, actionable strategy to cultivate a remarkable business by focusing on top clients and eliminating unprofitable ones. The book is filled with practical advice and real-world examples, making complex business concepts easy to understand and implement. His engaging storytelling and clear, step-by-step approach provide a refreshing take on business growth This book is a valuable resource for any small-business owner looking to streamline operations, maximize profits and achieve sustainable success
What’s Going On With Internet Connectivity
InJuly,aglobalInternetoutageforcedmillions ofcomputersoffline,includingatmajorairlines, banksandhospitals.Therootcauseofthe disruptionwasasinglesoftwareupdatedeployed bycybersecurityfirmCrowdStrike.
CybersecurityreporterBrianKrebsfamously describedtheInternetas“heldtogetherwith spitandbalingwire.”It’seasytoforgetthatthe Internet,likeothertech,isevolvingand complex.Itconnectscountlesssystemsand devicesglobally,creatingawebof dependencies.Adisruptioninonepartofthe networkcanripplethroughandaffectother systems,asseenwiththeCrowdStrikeupdate. Internetoutagescanhaveseriousfinancialand securityconsequences,sopreparingforan outageiscrucial.
Resilience Comes From Within
Afteranoutage,youmaybetemptedtofire
yourserviceprovider.However,CatchpointCEO andco-founderMehdiDaoudiexplainedinan interviewwithTechBrewthatit’snotagood solution(unlesstheyproveunreliable).Daoudisaid thatafteranoutage,it’sbettertoworkwithyour vendorstofigureoutwhatwentwrongandhowto bebetterprepared.Somecompanieshavehired chiefresilienceofficers,butthetitledoesn’tmatter asmuchashavingaleaderinyourcompanywho spendstimethinkingaboutresiliency.
“It’simportantthatcompaniesembraceresiliency andreliability.How?Byencouragingthelearning fromfailures,bynotfiring,”DaouditoldTech Brew.“Whatdidwelearnfromthisoutage? Whatcanwedotostrengthenourpostures goingforward?”
TheInternetiscomplex,andoutageshappen.To safeguardagainsttheinevitable,businessesmust cultivateresilienceinternallyandproactively collaboratewithInternetvendorstoavoid damagingconsequences.
