Criminals 'will target online Christmas shoppers'

2009-11-24

Internet shoppers are being urged to watch out for data breach threats when buying Christmas presents online this year.

According to IT security specialist BitDefender, many cybercriminals are able to create convincing online shopping sites that look legitimate, meaning that consumers need to be extra careful.

Catalin Cosoi, senior anti-spam researcher at the company, commented that the holiday season generally means taking advantage of the benefits online shopping can offer, like competitive pricing and freebies.

"However, consumers should be extra vigilant in protecting their personal information and their PC in the lead up to Christmas and the New Year," she added.

The company went on to caution shoppers about a common phishing tactic which targets online shoppers by utilising promotions and sales to trick them into entering personal information.

Earlier this month, research carried out by PayPal found that around 27 million people in Britain will do their Christmas shopping online this year but only one in seven will prioritise checking the legitimacy of websites.

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