Protecting your business and self from phishing scams on Black Friday
As Black Friday approaches and deals are flowing, it is crucial to be aware of phishing scams from email and SMS. According to Adobe Analytics, online spending grew by 22% during Black Friday in 2020, and consumers were spending $9 billion on retailer websites the day after Thanksgiving. As Black Friday comes closer, there are no signs of traffic slowing.

Due to the Holiday, buyers, and people, in general, expect a large amount of email traffic because of promotions and other events. Consumers now expect to see product deals, marketing, and advertisements. Even delivery notifications which cybercriminals are now benefitting from.

As inboxes get filled, whether an employee or buyer, it can be easy to click the wrong email that will take you to a harmful site or download an attachment. Being made aware of the scams and providing sound advice that is in the moment on what to do if they do receive a phishing email will make the difference between whether an employee clicks on the link or shares their credentials versus if they don’t.

Here are some simple tips for you, your employees, and friends to follow this Black Friday:
Inspect emails and text messages to look out for spelling errors
Take a few seconds to verify that the sender’s name and email address match up, especially if reading emails on mobile
Be wary of business messages from unknown numbers or numbers starting with a local area code such as +44
If you are led to a website, look for the padlock in the URL bar to verify the website is secure or not
And, if in doubt, just don’t click
At Tekscape, we strive to educate and support organizations with information and knowledge that is applicable. As technology grows and business is online, cybercrime will always be there. Employees are your first line of defense against cybercriminals. It is crucial to educate employees on ways to avoid phishing scams.

Learn about your digital landscape and where you can strengthen cybersecurity efforts with a risk assessment by Tekscape.