There are some interesting findings from the survey that I’d like to draw your attention to:

• Indian respondents scored the highest amongst all countries in terms of resorting to smart phones to purchase holiday gifts for others for end of year celebrations
• Though most Indians professed a degree of concern regarding the probable loss of personal information while using an app on a smartphone or tablet, still 95% of them are willing to provide some level of personal information if that can get them discounts, free gifts etc!
• Indians are also more likely to be a victim of a cyber scam. More than 23% of polled Indians have been victims and almost 25% of the respondents know someone who has been a victim
• 40% of those Indians who plan on shopping online during the 2012 holiday season plan on using a PC (50%) will use a tablet (23%) and/or 38% will use their smartphones

So what should these shoppers be wary of? Here’s is an interesting infographics to reveal just that…

5 simple things to do to stay safe while shopping online:

1. Ensure you have an advanced security software installed
2. Check the site, ask around, read reviews before carrying out transactions
3. Always be suspicious of free gifts, tempting offers and massive discounts-there’s never any free meal. Don’t fill up survey forms to win free iPads,  for that’s a clever way to details
4. Check shipping and return policies and read buyer reviews for the products
5. Do not share credit card details and other sensitive data like birth date. Use your credit card for transactions, rather than your debit card

Have you started using McAfee SiteAdvisor? If not, download it pronto. It will tell you which sites are unsafe or have malicious content. Just steer clear of them. Happy shopping!!

So whether they’re using PCs, Macs, or mobile devices, consumers should be looking out for “The 12 Scams of Christmas”: the dozen most dangerous online scams this holiday season, as revealed by McAfee.

1. Mobile Malware: McAfee cites a 76% increase in malware targeting Android devices in the second quarter of 2011 over the first, making it the most targeted smartphone platform. New malware has recently been found that targets QR codes, digital barcodes that consumers might scan with their smartphones to find good deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

2. Malicious Mobile Applications: These are mobile apps designed to steal information from smartphones, or to send out expensive text messages without a user’s consent. Dangerous applications are usually offered for free, masquerading as games.

3. Phony Facebook Promotions and Contests: Cyber scammers know that contests and free offers are attractive lures, and they have sprinkled Facebook with phony promotions and contests aimed at gathering personal information.

4. Scareware: This fake antivirus software tricks recipients into believing their computers are at risk, or have already been infected, so that they will agree to download and pay for phony software. An estimated one million victims fall for this scam every day.

5. Holiday Screensavers: A Santa screensaver that promises to let you “fly with Santa in 3D” is malicious. Holiday-themed ringtones and e-cards have been known to be malicious, too.

6. Mac Malware: Cybercriminals have designed a new wave of malware directed squarely at Mac users. According to McAfee Labs, as of late 2010, there were 5,000 pieces of malware targeting Macs, and this number is increasing by 10% from month to month.

7. Holiday Phishing Scams: Cyber scammers know that most people are busy around the holidays, so they tailor their emails and social messages with holiday themes in the hopes of tricking recipients into revealing personal information.

8. Online Coupon Scams: When consumers accept an offer for an online coupon code, they are asked to provide personal information, including credit card details, passwords, and other financial data

9. Mystery Shopper Scams: Mystery shoppers are hired to shop in a particular store and report back on their customers. Sadly, scammers are now using this appealing job to lure people into revealing personal and financial information.

10. Hotel “Wrong Transaction” Malware Emails: Scammers have designed travel-related scams in order to tempt us to click on dangerous emails. Once opened, an attachment downloads malware onto the victim’s machine.

11. “It Gift” Scams: When a gift is hot, not only do sellers mark up the price, but scammers will also start advertising these gifts on rogue websites and social networks, even if they don’t actually have the popular items.

12. “Away From Home” Status Updates: Posting information about your vacation on a social networking website could actually be dangerous. Thieves may see your post and decide that it sounds like a good time to rob you.

Be sure you have active, comprehensive protection for all of your devices. McAfee All Access is the only product that lets individuals and families protect a wide variety of Internet-enabled devices, including PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets, and netbooks, for one low price.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist for McAfee. See him discuss identity theft on YouTube. (Disclosures)

This is what happened to my friends Jim and Mala. The ad itself didn’t raise any suspicions and the apartment was in a good neighborhood and even had a doorman. However, the red flags should have gone up when the “landlord” asked for a wire transfer.  Criminals use wire transfers because they are virtually untraceable and the victim has no recourse to get the funds back. This scam happens so frequently, it actually made the 2010 “Twelve Scams of Christmas”. 

When Jim told me this story, I immediately asked if I could write a blog about their experience. I know from my own experiences over the years, it feels awful to be duped, but it is even worse when it happens to your child. Particularly worse when you think you have communicated clearly to them and think that they should know better. And much, much worse when you are particularly saavy online parents, like Jim and Mala, who routinely talk to your children about being smart online!   

You know what? Criminals are very good at what they do. Jim and Mala’s child is a really smart young adult who has learned over the years to be very careful – and this still happened. So I try to keep this in mind – if criminals weren’t good at what they do, they would have a job just like everybody else.  Sometimes kids have to make a mistake before they learn a valuable lesson.  Sometimes they make mistakes multiple times before they learn.

Mala made an excellent point when she explained “We have constantly had the topic of online good practices as a point of discussion in our household – but the focus of our discussions had been always on cyberbullying, effective use (as in research) etc., and we had glossed over issues of dealing with money transactions online. What this incident “hit us over the head with” is that as our kids became young adults we didn’t expand our focus of concern to issues of identity theft and safe transactional practices (i.e. purchasing goods online) as an essential part of life today for young people. “

So today’s lesson is about interacting with strangers you meet online via forum type sites like Craigslist and safe transacting.  I, for one, have used craigslist many, many times very successfully. However, I have followed certain rules every single time.

1. Never wire money using Western Union! Criminals use wire transfer to separate you you’re your money and them from the crime. When the money is wired, you are giving away any protection you have – don’t do it!
2. Never meet the person alone or in a secluded place. Whether you are going to them or they are coming to you, always meet in a public area or make sure you are not by yourself.
3. Trust your instincts! If something seems off, walk away. If the seller is pressuring you to buy, stop and think before you transact. You should see the item or place in person and be completely happy with the item and the price.
4. Shop with your head! Credit cards purchases are insured and give you some recourse if you are unhappy with a purchase. Use well known online stores or shop in “brick and mortar” shops for the safest transactions.

Stay safe out there!

Tracy

Scammers seek to take advantage of seasonal opportunities like Cyber Monday, so beware of the following scams:

Fake websites: Criminals draw visitors to their deceptive websites using the same techniques as legitimate eTailers: search engine optimization, search engine marketing, and online advertising via AdWords. They use keywords to boost their rankings on Internet searches, causing their scam sites to appear alongside legitimate sites in search results. These same processes are also used to infect unsuspecting users with malware. Run a SiteAdvisor program to give you a sense of a website’s legitimacy.

Phishing: Many victims who find themselves on scam sites get there by clicking links in phishing emails, which offer high-end products for low prices. In this case, it should be easy enough to avoid spoofed websites. Anytime you receive an offer via email, you should automatically be suspicious. The same goes for offers received through Twitter or other social media.

Too good to be true: If you aren’t familiar with the eTailer, don’t even bother clicking the links. Do business with those you know like and trust. I do occasionally patronize whichever eTailer offers the lowest price, but only when purchasing a relatively inexpensive item, generally under $50. It’s safer to make larger purchases from eTailers that also have brick and mortar locations.

Typosquatters: Be sure you’ve typed in the correct address and are at the eTailer’s actual domain. Beware of cybersquatting and typosquatting, which rely on imitation websites that resemble your desired destination, but are in fact copies, using domains that are similar to the legitimate web address.

Unsecured sites: When placing an order, always check the address bar for “https,” which indicates a secure page. Your browser may also display a closed padlock, further confirming that the page is secure. Generally, scammers won’t take the time to set up secure sites.

Common sense can help you avoid becoming a victim of these and other scams. Beyond that, consider subscribing to McAfee Identity Protection, which offers proactive identity surveillance, lost wallet protection, and alerts when suspicious activity is detected on your accounts. For additional tips, please visit www.counteridentitytheft.com.

Robert Siciliano is a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert. See him discuss Cyber Monday on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. (Disclosures)