As responsible shoppers, most of us look for the best deals around. While online shopping may be convenient, the Internet is a haven for hackers who want to steal your personal and financial information. Hackers have been known to use malicious advertisements, known as malvertising, to lure shoppers into visiting questionable websites.
Typosquatting is another tactic used by scammers that takes advantage of minor URL misspellings when searching for a webpage. For example, Google.com can be very different from Gooogle.com, which might contain malware and steal your personally identifiable information. Double-check your spelling to ensure you are on the correct website while shopping online.
Also, watch out for unsolicited emails, text messages, and other communications with a sense of urgency as these
may be signs of a scam. Here are a few cybersafe tips to keep in mind while shopping online this holiday season:
n Slow down. Be wary of urgent messaging and requests to act fast.
n Verify everything. When purchasing gifts or donating to a charity, verify that the websites are legitimate, identify the mailing address associated with the organization, and confirm customer service contact information.
n Report scams. If you have fallen victim to a scam this holiday season, contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center at the FBI immediately (ic3.gov).
For more helpful tips about cybersecurity, visit the CyberSafe at USPS® websites on Blue (blue.usps.gov/cyber) and LiteBlue (liteblue.usps.gov/cyber).
— Corporate Information Security Office,
Chief Information Security Officer
and Digital Solutions, 12-3-20
