The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) are both warning users that cyber scams, taking advantage of the holiday shopping frenzy, will be plentiful this season.
On Monday, US-CERT reminded individuals through an alert to “remain vigilant when browsing online,” particularly against e-cards containing malicious links and fake advertisements or shipping notifications delivering “infected attachments.”
The FBI's Birmingham, Alabama field office also notified users of cyber criminals' “aggressive and creative ways to steal money and personal information,” including “phishing emails advertising brand name merchandise for bargain prices,” a release said.
The agency advised users to never click on links or attachments contained in unsolicited emails, and to go directly to official company websites to correspond on business matters. Users were told to report potential scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov.
