Top 12 scams of the holiday season

McAfee released its annual “12 Scams of Christmas” list to educate the public on the most common scams that criminals use during the holiday season to take advantage of consumers as they shop on their digital devices. Cybercriminals leverage these scams to steal personal information, earn fast cash, and spread malware.

This year, fall holiday shopping sales are expected to soar to an estimated $602 billion. E-commerce sales are predicted to rise 15% compared to last year’s digital sales to more than $60 billion, with mcommerce comprising 16% of this number. Consumers should ensure that they are taking all precautions to protect the data saved on their devices. This is especially true for the 51% of US adults that bank online and 32% that use mobile banking.

“The potential for identity theft increases as consumers share personal information across multiple devices that are often under protected,” said Michelle Dennedy, vice president and chief privacy officer at McAfee. “Understanding criminals’ mindsets and being aware of how they try to take advantage of consumers can help ensure that we use our devices the way they were intended – to enhance our lives, not jeopardize them.”

SOURCE: net-security.org