{"id":132193,"date":"2021-11-29T14:34:09","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T22:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=132193"},"modified":"2024-02-28T20:22:03","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T04:22:03","slug":"social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Engineering: Tis the Season for Tricky Hackers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With the holidays on the horizon, spirits are high\u2014and it\u2019s those same high spirits that hackers want to exploit.\u00a0\u2018Tis the season for clever social engineering attacks that play on your emotions, designed to trick you into giving up personal info or access to your accounts.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Social\u00a0engineering attacks\u00a0unfold much\u00a0like a confidence scam.\u00a0A\u00a0crook\u00a0takes advantage of\u00a0someone\u2019s\u00a0trust,\u00a0applies\u00a0a little\u00a0human psychology\u00a0to\u00a0further\u00a0fool the victim, and then pulls off a theft.\u00a0Online, a social engineering\u00a0attack\u00a0will likely involve\u00a0a\u00a0theft\u00a0attempt\u00a0of\u00a0personal or account information that the crook can then use to make purchases, drain accounts, and so forth.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Not at all in the holiday spirit, right?\u00a0Let\u2019s\u00a0take a look\u00a0at some of their top tricks\u00a0so that you can spot and avoid them.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As said, spirits can get high this time of year. There\u2019s looking forward to gatherings with family and friends, the\u00a0fun that comes along with hunting\u00a0for that\u00a0perfect gift, and the excitement of the holidays overall.\u00a0And that\u2019s what hackers count on\u2014people getting caught up in the\u00a0rush of the\u00a0holidays, to the point where they may not look at emails, offers, shipping notices, and such with a critical eye. That\u2019s how the scammers get their foot in the door.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some of their\u00a0favored tricks\u00a0can look a little like this:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. Special access to hard-to-get holiday gifts.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What are the holidays without that trendy \u201cmust-get\u201d gift item, the one that\u2019s seemingly out of stock no matter where you look? Scammers are keen on these items as well and will prop up phony ads and storefronts that pretend to sell those items but really don\u2019t. Instead, they\u2019re just a shady way for them to steal your debit or credit card information\u2014or to lift a few bucks out of your pocket in return for nothing.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">One way to keep from getting burned by one of these scams is to follow the\u00a0old adage, \u201cIf it looks too good to be true, it probably is.\u201d In this case, crooks are using feelings of scarcity and urgency to get you to bite. Here\u2019s where you can take a moment before you click to do some research.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How long has the company been around?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Are there reviews of this company?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you have friends who\u2019ve shopped with them before (and had a good experience)?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What is their listing with the Better Business Bureau (and do they even have a listing)?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Answers to these questions can\u00a0separate\u00a0the good\u00a0businesses from\u00a0the bogus\u00a0ones.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. Gift card and coupon scams.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Like the above, crooks will create a sense of urgency about a hot holiday item or limited time offer. The twist comes when they request payment via a gift card rather than by credit or debit card or other legitimate online payment methods. This request is highly deliberate because gift cards are much like cash. Once the money on the card is spent, it\u2019s gone, and these cards do not offer the same protections that come with other payment methods.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can avoid this one\u00a0easily.\u00a0If anyone asks\u00a0you to use a\u00a0gift card as payment, it\u2019s\u00a0a scam.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/articles\/gift-card-scams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Gift cards are for gifts, not payment<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, says\u00a0the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If you come across such a scam, you can report it to the FTC as well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. Charity scams.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Donating\u00a0to a charity in someone else\u2019s name is often a popular\u00a0gift. Much the same,\u00a0giving a donation to\u00a0a\u00a0worthy cause feels particularly good this time of year.\u00a0Once again, scammers will take advantage of these good intentions by propping up phony charities designed to do nothing more than\u00a0dupe\u00a0you out of your money. Whether that\u2019s a flat-out phony charity or one of the many other\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/press-releases\/2021\/03\/ftc-38-states-dc-act-shut-down-massive-charity-fraud-telefunding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">scam charities that have been known to pocket 90 cents of every dollar donated<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0this is the time of year to be on the lookout for both.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The advice here is much the same as the advice for avoiding phony businesses and retailers. Do your homework.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/give.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Better Business Bureau maintains a listing of charities that can help you make good donation choices<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Also,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">your\u00a0state government\u2019s charity officials can help you separate good charities from bad<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2014and even file a report if you suspect a scam is at play.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And once again, if a charity is asking for donations in the form of cash, gift cards, or wire transfer, just say no. That\u2019s a surefire sign of a scam.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">4. Phony shipping notices.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Scammers know you have packages in transit this holiday season,\u00a0loaded with gifts\u00a0that you\u2019re eagerly tracking.\u00a0Enter another classic scam\u2014the phony shipping notice. The idea is that you already have so many packages on their way that you won\u2019t think twice about opening an email with a \u201cshipping notice\u201d that comes in the form of an attachment. Of course, that attachment is a fake. And it\u2019s loaded with malware.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Too bad for scammers, though. This is another one you can steer clear of\u00a0rather easily.\u00a0Don\u2019t open\u00a0such\u00a0attachments. Shipping companies will almost certainly send along notices and invoices in the body of an email, not as an attachment. If you have a question, you can always visit the shipper\u2019s website and look up your tracking\u00a0info\u00a0there. Likewise,\u00a0follow up with the customer service department of the company that you purchased the item from in the first place.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yet more ways you can protect yourself from holiday scams<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While the holidays are a special time for scammers too, there are several things you can do to up the level of your protection now and year \u2018round. A quick list includes:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Secure your devices and set your email spam filters.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/antivirus\/mcafee-total-protection.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">If you haven\u2019t already,\u00a0secure your devices with\u00a0comprehensive online protection<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. With that in place, it can\u00a0prevent you from mistakenly clicking\u00a0risky links and downloads, blot out spam emails before they reach your inbox, and protect your accounts with strong, unique passwords.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Protect your identity too.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Another thing that comprehensive online protection should cover is you.\u00a0With\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/identity-theft\/protection.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">identity theft protection<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, you can protect yourself. It can monitor dozens of different types of personal info along with your email addresses and bank accounts\u2014plus provide theft insurance and support from a licensed recovery pro if identity theft, unfortunately, happens to you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Beware of downloads you aren\u2019t expecting.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> This is\u00a0always\u00a0good form because hackers love to\u00a0spike downloads with malware designed to steal your personal information. Whether\u00a0you get an unexpected attachment\u00a0from a friend or business, follow up\u00a0with them\u00a0before opening it.\u00a0If they say they didn\u2019t send it, that\u2019s a quick way to find out\u00a0whether\u00a0the attachment is legitimate or not.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Keep an eye out for typos and poorly crafted messages.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Scammers may know a thing or two about human nature, but that doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re the best writers, designers, and website developers. A common sign of a scam is an email, ad, message, or site that simply doesn\u2019t look or read right. Granted,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/phishing-email-examples-how-to-recognize-a-phishing-email\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">some scammers have gotten quite good at making their scams look legitimate, yet many still fail to\u00a0clear that bar<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Keep the good feeling going this holiday season<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">No doubt, the holidays have a feel all to themselves, one which hackers and crooks\u00a0want to take advantage\u00a0of. They\u2019ll craft their\u00a0tricks\u00a0accordingly\u00a0and\u00a0try to\u00a0twist\u00a0the good times that roll around at the end of the year\u00a0into scams that capitalize on your good intentions. As you can see, it\u2019s not too tough to spot them for what they are if you pause and take a moment\u00a0to scrutinize those emails, offers, and sales. And that\u2019s the thing with the holidays. We can all feel pinched for time at some point or other during this stretch. Look out for their pressure tactics and seemingly clever ways of\u00a0using social engineering to rip you off. That way, you can spend the holidays focusing on what\u2019s important\u2014your friends and family.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the holidays on the horizon, spirits are high\u2014and it\u2019s those same high spirits that hackers want to exploit.\u00a0\u2018Tis the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1408,"featured_media":132199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[11029,11032,4287],"coauthors":[15741],"class_list":["post-132193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-privacy-identity-protection","tag-examples-of-social-engineering-scams","tag-how-to-avoid-social-engineering-scams","tag-social-engineering"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Social Engineering: Tis the Season for Tricky Hackers | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With the holidays on the horizon, spirits are high\u2014and it\u2019s those same high spirits that hackers want to exploit.\u00a0\u2018Tis the season for clever social\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Social Engineering: Tis the Season for Tricky Hackers | McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the holidays on the horizon, spirits are high\u2014and it\u2019s those same high spirits that hackers want to exploit.\u00a0\u2018Tis the season for clever social\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-11-29T22:34:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-29T04:22:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/300x200_MFE_Blogs_112921_Blog.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amy Bunn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Amy Bunn\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Amy Bunn\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/15fadfbc1716a6a3d88e22ed09e95fe3\"},\"headline\":\"Social Engineering: Tis the Season for Tricky Hackers\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-11-29T22:34:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-29T04:22:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers\/\"},\"wordCount\":1376,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/social-engineering-tis-the-season-for-tricky-hackers\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/300x200_MFE_Blogs_112921_Blog.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Examples of social engineering scams\",\"How to avoid social engineering scams\",\"social engineering\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Privacy &amp; 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