This week we’ve found online shopping scams featuring Black Friday and Thanksgiving sales as well as phishing attempts in which scammers are impersonating trusted brands, including Louis Vuitton, Ray-Ban, Walmart, and MORE. Would you have been able to spot all these scams?  

Online Shopping Scams (Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday)

This weekend there are lots of holiday deals, including Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday deals. While these deals are great, not all of them are legit, so please be careful! Scammers create fake shopping websites (sometimes impersonating big brands) and spread links to these fake sites via text message, email, and social media.

Black Friday Scams

As of November 17, over 110,527 scam Black Friday websites have been blocked by Trend Micro, a 13% increase compared to 2022.

Thanksgiving Scams

Since November 1 2023, we’ve seen more than 100,890 Thanksgiving-related scam online shops — about 17% more than last year.

Via Email (Louis Vuitton/Ray-Ban)

Louis Vuitton bags and Ray-Ban sunglasses for up to 90% off? That definitely sounds like a scam! Last week we detected 164,426 fake Black Friday emails impersonating Louis Vuitton and 64,544 impersonating Ray-Ban!

Bogus Cyber Monday deals are also used buy scammers to promote their fake online shops. Below is an example:

Via Text Message

Besides emails, we’ve also seen lots of text messages containing links to fake online shops. Many brands are impersonated, such as Blackstone, Hydro Flask, Chamberlain Coffee, GatsbyShoes, Mud Pie, Trendsend by Evereve:

• Blackstone: Black Friday Starts Early! Beat the rush and enjoy incredible discounts on griddles, pizza ovens, and accessories.  Shop Now – <URL> Text STOP to opt-out
• Hydro Flask: Unwrap Black Friday deals early: FREE engraving starts now. New winter graphics hit the store just in time. Engrave an exclusive graphic or your own personalized text for free until 11/15: <URL> Text STOP to opt-out
• Chamberlain Coffee: meet the black cherry collection 🍒, a black friday exclusive.   shop for a limited time only: <URL>
• GatsbyShoes: Have you seen our Oxford velcro shoes?  A favorite among gentlemen! Enjoy a 50% black friday treat  Shop Now -> <URL>
• Mud Pie: TODAY ONLY! Enjoy 25% OFF sitewide & get everything you need in time for Thanksgiving. Use code 25THANKS <URL> Text STOP to opt-out
• Trendsend by Evereve: We have your Thanksgiving weekend style covered! Order today to get your box in time! Take $25 off your first box with code HELLO25 <URL>  Text STOP to opt-out

Sample Black Friday scam shopping websites:

• 85offrb[.]su
• kalesafe[.]com
• blackfridaysale[.]xyz
• bavogo[.]com

Sample Thanksgiving scam shopping websites:

• happyinktee[.]com
• inkinaction[.]com
• lalamise[.]com
• metvmall[.]com
• mischics[.]com
• shopvopp[.]top

No matter where you see these fake online shops, DON’T engage with them. Never spend a cent! You likely will never receive any products and lose money. What’s worse, scammers can steal your personal and financial information as well, which they could sell to cybercriminals on the dark web or commit identity theft. Don’t let them!

Protect Yourself from Scam Sites

The truth is, there are lots of scams and scam sites on the internet and they’re getting even more difficult to detect with common sense alone. However, for an easy and reliable method of detecting and avoiding scam sites, check out  Trend Micro ID Protection.         
 
ID Protection can shield you from scams, fake and malware-infected websites, dangerous emails, phishing links, and lots more! If you come across something dangerous online, you’ll be alerted in real time so you’ll know to stay well clear.        

Phishing Attempts

Besides fake online shops, scammers also attempt to get you to click on phishing links sent via text message and email. These links lead to phishing sites designed to steal your personally identifiable information (PII). With it, scammers can commit cybercrimes, such as draining your bank account or stealing your identity.

They make up many excuses to trick you. For example, they say they will guarantee you a free gift and prompt you to claim it by completing an online survey:

Walmart Survey Scam

We’ve reported on Walmart survey scams many times before, and this week their “hook” is a free Samsung TV:

• (<URL> <– Contact support. Your Samsung TV is ready to be shipped. Ticket Number: 43U6XBAE.)

Telling you that you’ve won a raffle, scammers want you to click on the attached link that leads to a fake Walmart survey page. It then instructs you to fill out a series of questions:

If you proceed, you will eventually make it to where you need to provide a delivery address and credit card details to schedule the shipment of your gift. Don’t! As mentioned, scammers can record the data you submit here and use it for their own good. Be careful!

iCloud Storage Phishing

This is not the first time scammers have used the line “your iCloud storage is full” to try to trick people. Scaring you into thinking that your files will be deleted soon, they invite you to click on the link to get extra storage:

• WARNING: YOUR CLOUD IS AT LIMIT! Files may be deleted without quick action. As our esteemed customer, enjoy an additional 50GB for FREE: <URL>
• CLOUD OVERFLOW NOTICE! If you <NAME>’t respond soon, your files will be purged. For your loyalty, we offer an extra 00GB at no cost.

If you take the bait, you will be taken to this fake iCloud page:

Again, the page contains an online survey to fill out, and in the end you’ll be asked for PII. Don’t get scammed!

Tips to Stay Safe Online

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number and email address. Even if it seems legitimate, think twice before you take any action.    
• Never click on dubious links or attachments! Only go to official websites and apps to make purchases, update information, or track a package’s status.
• If you’ve accidentally revealed your PII somewhere, change your passwords immediately and inform your bank and/or other companies that scammers may contact them pretending to be you. 
• Check if any of your PII has been leaked and secure your social media accounts using Trend Micro ID Protection.   
• Finally, add an extra layer of protection to your devices with Trend Micro Maximum Security. Its Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection will help you combat scams and cyberattacks.  

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