Top Halloween Scam Websites: Red Flags & Tips to Stay Safe 2022
Author: Trend Micro
This article is from Trend Micro
There are only a few days to go until Halloween – have you prepared the decorations and your scary Halloween costumes? You still have some time to make those last-minute purchases, but please keep an eye out for Halloween online shopping scams!
Top Halloween Scam Websites
We’ve already detected 509,507 scam websites featuring Halloween shopping sales this month. Scammers have started early to spread links to scam online shops via text messages that promote various Halloween special sale campaigns:
- PDIC Books: Ready for a Scary-Good Deal? Our Halloween sale has come alive. With our best-selling books over 50% off! See them all: <URL>
#1 – coatpark[.]com
#2 – nestorliquor[.]com
#3 – annishuan[.]com
#4 – hugoiio[.]com
#5 – cathytok[.]com
#6 – hardaddy[.]com
#7 – usainverse[.]shop
#8 – wersth[.]com
#9 – desiresatisfaction[.]com
#10 – broswear[.]com
#11 – airysumer[.]com
#12 – luckyydog[.]com
#13 – maverickbear[.]com
#14 – etcydecor[.]com
#15 – leisuretlly[.]com
#16 – sasachics[.]com
#17 – lrahina[.]com
#18 – grintoss[.]com
Below are several checkpoints that you can pay attention to see if an online shop is safe:
1. Details of the Web Domain
Before you click on any links, always CHECK if it’s safe. How? You can look up suspicious URLs at Whois for website details, for example:
(1) Does the domain country of the website match its base?
(2) How long has the website been registered?
(3) Is the registrant’s contact information hidden?
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2. Price
Is the offer too good to be true?
2. Payment Method
Does the website take electronic transfer, cryptocurrency, prepaid and gift cards, or cash on delivery (COD) ONLY? If so, it is highly likely that it’s a scam. For example, many scam online shops only accept PayPal as a payment method:
- Tip: Choose safer online payment options! Standard payment processing networks such as Visa and Mastercard offer more secure transactions – these networks utilize careful inspection of the websites.
Note: There are still exceptions – these common payment methods don’t mean the site is 100% secure. How?
In some cases the merchant will ‘refund’ money to buyers, claiming technical difficulties with the original payment. After the initial refund, the scammer (‘merchant’) will ask the buyer to use payment methods OTHER THAN the one listed on the website – such as bank transfers or APPs like “Venmo” or “Zelle”. This example shows how once a customer sent out money, the scammer disappeared. Beware!
3. Layout and Typos
Content should be 100% accurate on reputable and well-designed websites! Are there a lot of typos and unnatural wording? If there are you should reconsider if you want to spend money on the site.
4. Contact Details
Does the website provide full and valid contact details? You can check if the contact information matches the domain of the URL, or you can Google the address to see if the company really exists.
Stay Away from Halloween Scam Websites
- NEVER click links or attachments from unknown sources. Use Trend Micro Check to combat scams with ease!
- Shop only on legitimate online stores. Do your homework and read reviews about the online store you plan to shop at.
- Add an extra layer of protection to your device with Trend Micro Maximum Security! It includes Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection to help you combat scams and cyberattacks. Click the button below to give it a try:
As ever, if you’ve found this article an interesting and/or helpful read, please do SHARE with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected.
Souce:Pexels.com
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