Experts warn shoppers to protect themselves this holiday season
BY GREG MELLEN, Behind the Badge
This year, as Black Friday online, Cyber Monday, and holiday online sales ramp up, consumers are warming up their fingers for some serious transacting. And wherever buyers travel in the e-verse, criminals are either close behind or already waiting.
In 2020, as consumers turned to the internet in record numbers to do their holiday shopping, criminals were also there in record numbers. And “cyber criminals took advantage of an opportunity to profit from our dependence on technology to go on an Internet crime spree,” the FBI reported in its 2020 Internet Crime Report.
The 2020 Internet Crime Report found 791,790 complaints of suspected Internet crime, an increase of more than 300,000 complaints (about 69 percent) from 2019.
This year, the FBI is on pace to receive more than 1 million complaints, according to Unit Chief Donna Gregory of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
Although about 82 percent of the attempted crimes failed, losses from successful crimes exceeded $4.2 billion, and $1.8 billion (about 43 percent) was from unsuspecting older shoppers.
Photeditor lays out the scale nicely — that jump to 791,790 complaints in 2020 really drives home how fast things shifted online. The reminder to treat every deal with a bit of skepticism is timely as the holiday sales kick off.
https://senzaspid.com was on my mind while reading the stat about older shoppers losing $1.8 billion, since that number lines up with what I see when my parents forward me emails that look almost legitimate. The detail about 82 percent of attempts failing sounds reassuring until you realize how much damage the remaining 18 percent still caused. I have started telling relatives to slow down and verify sellers directly before entering card details, especially on deals that seem too good for the season.
AI Font Generator put things in perspective when you see the FBI's 2020 Internet Crime Report hit 791,790 complaints, up about 69 percent from 2019. I'll definitely be sticking to known retailers and checking my statements twice this holiday season.
https://fremovebg.com/ is a smart tool to have ready, given that the FBI reported a 69 percent jump in internet crime complaints back in 2020. It's a good reminder to stay extra vigilant with all the online shopping this season.
AI BG Remover is a useful thing to have handy with that 69 percent jump in complaints. It's definitely a busy time for online shoppers and criminals alike.