This week, Colombia is in the second Cyber Monday of the year, the 7-day day of discounts that allows companies to have offers at unbeatable prices.
However, it is important that the enthusiasm for these does not cloud your vision, as These conferences are also the opportunity for possible fraud.
To find out how to avoid them, Andrés Robatel, country manager of falabella.com Colombia, explained the most common types of scams and how you can protect yourself from them.
The idea is that users know that just as people’s interest in making an online purchase skyrockets in this time of discounts, “it is very important to have the necessary measures to protect transactions, as well as inform consumers of risks”, Robatel.
Identity fraud
It is common for them to receive several emails with offers that pass through legitimate companies, such as a bank.
The objective of these communications is to obtain sensitive information such as passwords, usernames or credit card details. Similarly, they can install malicious programs through user interaction with a link or file that was obtained.
“Our recommendation in this case is be very careful with the links or files that arrive without any reason or trusted sender to users. You should always verify before proceeding to click or submit personal information through email requirements,” the firm said.
fake pages
Just as there are fake emails, there are also fake pages. There are many applications and pages that mimic websites and they look identical to the originals in order to deceive users and make them believe that they are inside the official site.
To avoid this, it is recommended to review the domain name and check that it has the lock symbol in the upper left next to the “https”.
You should also be careful with pay channels. It will always be preferable to enter each time a purchase is made, since having them saved on the device expose yourself to credential theft and potential scams.
notifications
Reviewing and comparing the messages and notifications you receive can protect you from a scam.
There is a modality through text messages that says that the purchase could not be made or that there has been some problem with the delivery: these are some excuses that are used to trick the user into clicking on malicious links.
Always check the spelling, the link and the recipient, remember that these messages usually carry out an urgent tone and request that the transaction be validated through the link, implying that, otherwise, the order will be canceled or blocked bank accounts. The risk may be higher.
“Companies do not usually use this type of tone in their messages nor do they usually approach the user through those channels. Whenever you want to confirm the purchase, you must do it through the official pages or contact the company through its customer service channels,” said Robatel.
Watch out for offers
If you find a discount that seems “exaggerated” or with prices that are not very credible for the quality of the product, should be suspected.
In the same way, the means by which the offer arrived is also a factor to measure the veracity of the message.
Yes, there are good offers, but this is also how the ingenious ones fall.
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