Happy Holidays!
10 December 2021
Winter break is approaching and so is Christmas and New Year’s. This is a gentle reminder to shop cautiously for gifts and presents this festive season.
Christmas shopping phishing scams
It’s no surprise that we are all searching for a great deal when it comes to gifts and presents. However, I still want you to be wary of “too good to be true” deals that comes into your inbox. For instance, a sales phishing email might urge you to click on the link to lock in a deal. Clicking on a phishing link might give the scammers access to your bank details which they can abuse further.
Here’s a bunch of tips to prevent you falling for a scam
- Always be cautious if you receive an email
- Google the shop to double check if the deal is real
- If you’re unsure, you can send the email as an attachment to phishing@lse.ac.uk and we can check the legitimacy of the email for you
- Read reviews of the product you’re purchasing online
- Shop from reputable retailers
- Always buy using legitimate website or app to reduce the risk of being scammedMain content column for copy, images, accordions, pullquotes etc
If you suspect you have been scammed, please go through these steps
- Freeze your bank account through your mobile banking app
- Get in touch with your bank to notify them that your bank details have been compromised
Christmas spoofing attempts
Most of us are not Scrooge and are in our most giving mindset this time of year. Yet, we should we aware of spoofing attempts from an email pretending to be a friend or a family member you know to help them buy a gift card online.
Here’s some tips to avoid being scammed from a spoofed account
- Don’t engage with the sender. Treat every email with caution.
- Read the sender’s name carefully and check the actual email of the sender. Sometimes, the actual email maybe hidden. In this case, you can follow this guide to view the full message header.
- If unsure, send the email to phishing@lse.ac.uk and we can check it for you
Christmas smishing (SMS-phishing)
Attackers just don’t stop with your online account. The attacker will pretend to be a person you know and may reach out to you via text messaging. For instance, you could receive a text to purchase something on behalf of them because they are in a meeting or busy right now.
Here’s some tips to prevent you from falling for smishing
- Check the number of the sender. Copy and paste it into your call page to see if it’s from one of your contacts
- If it’s an unfamiliar number, even with a familiar name, please do not engage with the sender or clink any links in the text
Let’s be safe than sorry this Christmas. Happy holidays!