McAfee
released its annual "12 Scams of Christmas" list to educate the public
on the most common scams that criminals use during the holiday season to
take advantage of consumers as they shop on their digital devices.
Cybercriminals leverage these scams to steal personal information, earn fast cash, and spread malware.
Industry
estimates suggest that In India, out of 150 million internet users
around 10 million internet users are shopping online.
A
report by Assocham states that e-shopping during festive season in
India for 2013 has witnessed a 65 per cent increase in comparison to
last year for products like mobile phones, e-tablets, consumer
electronics, home appliances, home decor, furnishings, apparels, etc.
Though
banks and various agencies are repeatedly propagating the cause of safe
online transactions remains a potential challenge in India.
"The
potential for identity theft increases as consumers share personal
information across multiple devices that are often under protected,"
said, Michelle Dennedy, Vice president and Chief Privacy Officer at
McAfee. "Understanding criminals' mindsets and being aware of how they
try to take advantage of consumers can help ensure that we use our
devices the way they were intended - to enhance our lives, not
jeopardize them."
To help consumers stay alert
for greedy Grinches as they surf the web for holiday travel deals and
seek out gifts for their loved ones, McAfee has identified this year's
top "12 Scams of Christmas":
Not-So-Merry mobile apps
Official-looking
software for holiday shopping, including those that feature celebrity
or company endorsements, could be malicious, designed to steal or send
out your personal data. Criminals can redirect incoming calls and
messages, offering them the chance to bypass two-step authentication
systems where the second step involves sending a code to a mobile
device.
Holiday mobile SMS scams
FakeInstaller tricks Android users into
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