Beware of Social Media Scams When Holiday Shopping @McAfeeConsumer

9 Dec 2012 · 1 min

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1:02

In this short consumer‑advice segment, the hosts warn that holiday shoppers are increasingly targeted by scammers who use social‑media contests, fan pages, and discount offers to lure users onto malicious links. McAfee Online Security reports that a quarter of shoppers use smartphones or tablets for purchases, making mobile devices a prime infection vector. Clicking such links can install malware that steals personal data. The speakers advise immediate isolation of an infected device—disconnecting from the internet, rebooting, updating virus definitions, and running a full antivirus scan. They also note that up to 70% of Americans plan to shop on Black Friday, many online, and that travel plans for Thanksgiving may increase exposure to these threats.

Holiday shopping season now upon us. Experts are warning you to watch out for online scammers. McAfee Online Security says 1 in 4 people is using smartphones and tablets to shop. Scammers are using social media to lure people into clicking through contests or fan pages that advertise discounts. But those links may actually be ways of installing viruses on your mobile device and stealing your personal information.
If you inadvertently click a link on your device and you haven't properly protected it, then chances are your machine or your device is going to get infected. Immediately shut that thing down, disconnect it from the internet, and once you turn it back on, update your virus definitions and run antivirus on your machine.
Up to 70% of Americans will be shopping on Black Friday, and many will be doing their shopping online to avoid all the crowds. Now, if you plan on flying this Thanksgiving, you may end up