Page 39 - CyberSecurityEssentialsEnglish

✓ Fake Online Stores
Not all online stores are legitimate. Some of them are run by cybercriminals who want to steal your cash and
personal data. Scammers pose as internet retailers and advertise their products, but they never fulfill orders.
They sometimes post promotions that seem too good to be valid on social media.
✓ Data breaches
When hackers access data from web applications without authorization, a data breach happens. You risk having
your information exposed in the event of a data breach when you submit your personal information to websites
while shopping online.
✓ Unsecured WIFI
Using unencrypted WIFI for online shopping is not a good idea because it enables data transfer between
networks.
✓ Spamming
Viral links can be sent through email or social media inboxes by some dishonest actors. Additionally, they can
include these URLs in blog comments, messages, and contact form submissions.

Protective Guidelines on The Buyer’s Side
Spotting Scam Websites
Any unreliable internet site that is used to trick people into engaging in fraud or malicious attacks is a scam
website. Scammers use the internet anonymity to hide their genuine selves and motives beneath numerous
guises. These could consist of phony security alerts, gifts, and other dishonest formats that seem legitimate.
Therefore, this section starts with listing various scam website types, followed by tips to detect those sites.

Types of scam websites
Phishing scam websites
Phishing websites are a well-known tactic used to pretend to be legitimate sites to obtain users' private
information. These frauds frequently take the form of reliable businesses or institutions, like banks and email
providers (figure 23).

Figure 23 Phishing scam websites

37