As cybercrime gets more sophisticated, here are some tips to avoid online scams
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the beginning of the holiday shopping season is upon us.
Online and in stores, shoppers are looking to find deals – but experts are urging caution to avoid getting scammed.
"This is the biggest show of the year. So for organized criminals, as well as the bottom feeders, it's all about the end-of-year shopping spree," said cybersafety expert Claudiu Popa, founder of KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation.
"Every cybercriminal out there is poised to provide those deals. They're going to be putting up fake sites, they're going to provide low, low prices, and they're going to come right into your inbox to get your attention right off the bat. So make no mistake about it. It's going to be activity from now, right up until January."
Popa shares the following tips:
Check yourself and your own ability to detect fraud
Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated, Popa said. You may think you are very digitally literate, but don’t let that make you overconfident.
"We're not talking about seven to 10 years ago, where every phishing email came riddled with spelling and grammatical mistakes. We're talking about emails that look exactly like the real thing. They look exactly like Amazon, PayPal, eBay, or any of your banks. So we're talking about a false sense of security that we need to check," he said.
Make sure you're on the right website
Type the correct website directly into your search bar and don't use a search engine like Google.
"This year, more than ever in the history of the internet, criminals have been spending so much money on advertising. The fake sites show up before the real sites. It's an unprecedented time in the internet where we're getting reports from users saying, 'I clicked onto the first link that appeared and Google sent me to the fraudulent website,'" he said.
Use a unique password for every site you register with
"At some point, one of these sites is going to get hacked. And the cybercriminals are going to take your password and plug it into all the other sites that they can think of and see if they can steal your identity from all those other sites," said Popa.
Install an ad blocker
It’s "the best use is against malvertising," or malicious advertising, said Popa.
Malvertising is a technique that uses online advertising to spread malware.
"These are weaponized ads. In some cases, they are presented to you as an image but it comes with a whole bunch of code on your computer and you don't know what it does."
Popa recommends Adblock Plus.
Shop on your desktop or laptop computer, not on a mobile device, so you can see all the details and be skeptical.
- With files from CTV News Montreal's Christine Long and Maya Johnson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.