How to protect yourself from online scams at the start of the holiday season?

As the holiday shopping season begins, the excitement of getting the perfect gifts is combined with an increase in fraudulent activity and theft, they tell the Voice of America several cybersecurity experts.

From online scams to doorstep package theft, these practices increasingly affect consumers in the United States and other parts of the world.

According to Gilberto Cabrera, external relations advisor for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), this era presents “high risk” due to the increasing sophistication of scammers and the urgency of consumers.

According to the AARP report published this week, Latinos in the United States would be the population group most affected by internet fraud. “It is estimated that 82% of consumers in this country, at some point in the last 365 days, were victims of fraud,” explains Cabrera.

The same frauds that occur in the United States also occur in other parts of the world, such as in Latin America, where the end-of-year holiday season also begins and many are choosing to make their purchases online.

In the opinion of Alex Neuman, another cybersecurity expert and author of the “Vida Digital” channel, these fraudulent cases occur due to factors such as lack of knowledge about the system, language barriers and the information overload that people are exposed to. exposed.

“The deception comes through a phone call, a message or an email. People get nervous and fall into the trap,” says Neuman.

Along these lines, he considers that it is important for consumers to know what tools they have at their disposal to be able to buy safely and avoid, as far as possible, being victims of cyber fraud.

“Trust, but verify. It is extremely important that they verify by other means, especially if there is money involved,” Neuman advises on the importance of verifying that the platform on which we are making the transactions provides the reliability that is required, while remembering that ” “You never call by phone or by message or by mail to request personal or banking information.”

What methods do online fraudsters use?

Common scammers’ tactics include offers that seem too good to be true, fake package tracking messages, and fraudulent social media platforms.

“Many of these websites are places where they will steal your identity, they will steal your money, you will never receive the package you ordered,” warns Cabrera.

To prevent these situations, experts suggest several measures:

– Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers: “Never answer phone calls from unknown numbers. Let them leave a voicemail and you respond at your convenience.”

– Do not click on suspicious links: Whether in emails or text messages, these links can open the door to crimes like identity theft.

– Only buy from trusted websites: It is essential to avoid transactions on pages found on social networks or that do not offer security guarantees.

Package theft, a growing problem

Another phenomenon that affects consumers during this time is the theft of packages left at the entrances of homes. According to Cabrera, one in four Latinos in the United States has been a victim of this type of theft in the last year.

“Nowadays, all these companies that send things to your house and leave them in front of the door or in the back yard, make sure someone is home when you receive the notification that the package is there,” he recommends.

Additionally, he suggests using the tools offered by courier companies to leave specific instructions about delivery. For example, instruct that the package be placed in a less visible location, such as behind a bush or in a backyard.

AI, an ally of criminals

Experts point out that technological advances have made identifying fraud even more complicated.

Today, scammers use tools such as artificial intelligence to recreate voices and emotionally manipulate victims.

“If a criminal manages to record three or four words of your voice, he can absolutely recreate an entire conversation. It can force your parents or grandparents to send money to undesirable places or people because they are told that they have been kidnapped or that they need money to pay bail,” he explains.

Faced with this reality, Cabrera urges adopting an attitude of skepticism: “If you have not initiated communication with a business or a public service organization, be suspicious because it could be a scam.”

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