As a friendly reminder, it is good to remain vigilant when browsing or shopping online this holiday season. Emails and ecards from unknown senders may contain malicious links. Fake advertisements or shipping notifications may deliver attachments infected with malware. Spoofed email messages and phony posts on social networking sites may request support for fraudulent causes.
To avoid seasonal campaigns that could result in security breaches, identity theft, or financial loss, users are encouraged to take the following actions:
- Avoid following unsolicited links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
- Learn more about Shopping Safely Online and Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.
- Read the Federal Trade Commission’s blog: Holiday Shopping Tips from the FTC.
- Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information page on Charity Scams.
