BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The holiday season brings joy, but it also sees a dramatic rise in cybercrime, with millions of dollars lost to online scams. In 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that 12,000 victims lost $73 million to cybercrime during the holidays. Experts warn that this trend is expected to grow in the coming years.
Yuliang Zheng, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, advises consumers to stay vigilant during the busy shopping season. Zheng highlights online shopping, credit card fraud, and phishing scams as the biggest threats.
Festivities go up, cybercrime goes up
Fraudulent shopping websites often emerge during the holidays, preying on consumers seeking discounts. Scammers may promote fake deals for popular items such as electronics, makeup, or travel, luring victims with offers that seem too good to be true.
Zheng recommends scrutinizing email headers, sender details, and URLs to verify authenticity, particularly for websites or messages asking for personal information like credit card numbers or login credentials. He also cautions about the rise of AI-generated phishing messages, which can appear alarmingly legitimate.
“Criminals are among the first adopters of advanced AI technology, using it to identify weaknesses in electronic systems and devising attacking strategies such as phishing messages and spams that look legitimate,” Zheng said. “Those AI-generated attacks may be harder to discern, hence people need to be more careful as we enter the AI era.”
Risks of online shopping
Online shopping, while convenient, poses risks to credit card and personal information. Zheng advises consumers to confirm the legitimacy of websites before making purchases. Scammers have become skilled at creating fake websites that closely resemble real ones.
“One common trick is using characters from foreign languages that resemble English letters to deceive people into believing they are on a legitimate site,” Zheng noted. “While these characters look similar, they lead to entirely different websites.”
To protect yourself from credit card fraud, Zheng suggests these steps:
- Avoid saving credit card information on websites
- Use one-time credit card numbers if available
- Understand your card’s fraud protection policy
- Consider using third-party payment services that conceal your credit card details
Social media safety
With many people traveling during the holidays, social media can become a target for criminals. Posting about vacations or sharing real-time updates about locations can alert criminals to an empty home.
“Posting about travels is like announcing to the world, including potential criminals, that your home is empty,” Zheng warned. “It’s best to share photos after returning home.”
Zheng also warns about social media account takeovers, where scammers hack accounts and send fake money requests to friends and family. He advises always verifying such requests with a direct phone call.
Things to do in case of a data breach
Data breaches are becoming increasingly common. If your information is compromised, Zheng recommends taking the following steps:
- Freeze your credit to prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened
- Monitor your credit report for suspicious activity
- Use a password manager to store unique passwords for each account
- Inform family members about potential scams impersonating you
