1 out of 6 malicious emails trace to shipping scams: Checkpoint

About 17%, or roughly 1 out of 6 Malicious Files Delivered by Email Trace to Shipping Scams.

Four percent of all new shopping related websites were found to be malicious since the start of the month.

Check Point Research (CPR) warns Black Friday shoppers to watch out for phishing scams, as it sees sharp increases in fake shopping and delivery websites. CPR estimates that one out of every six malicious emails in November were related to shipping. To spread awareness, CPR shares two examples of brand phishing it recently caught: Louis Vuitton and DHL.

• 17% of all malicious files distributed by email in November were related to shipping.
• 4% of all new shopping related websites were malicious since start of November
• CPR shares six safety tips for shoppers this year, including buying from authentic sources and thinking twice on ‘too good to be true offers’

Check Point Research (CPR) sees sharp increases in fake shopping and delivery websites in the run-up to Black Friday.

By the Numbers:

• About 17%, or roughly 1 out of 6 Malicious Files Delivered by Email Trace to Shipping Scams.
• Four percent of all new shopping related websites were found to be malicious since the start of the month.

To warn shoppers, CPR is sharing two examples of related malicious activity caught in recently.

Louis Vuitton Impersonation

CPR caught a malicious email impersonating the fashion-brand Louis Vuitton, containing the subject line “Black Friday Sale. Starts at $100. You’ll Fall In Love With Prices.” Once clicked, the site led to a malicious destination. Over the past month we have seen an increasing number of incidents involving these domains, reaching close to 15,000 in the previous week.

“We urge shoppers to be on high-alert to online scams this Black Friday. Fraudsters will be looking for bargain hunters in one of the biggest shopping events of the year. We're already seeing hackers impersonate luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and shipping giants like DHL. Cybercriminals love to play off of the emotions of shoppers. When you’re excited about a great deal or fear missing out, you may take unnecessary risks like shopping at an unfamiliar site or providing sensitive information. Cybercriminals know this and actively try to take advantage of this shopping psychology. To stay protected, there are a few basic measures you can take, such as always shopping with official retailers, not being enticed by deals that are 'too good to be true', and looking out for suspicious payment methods.

Safety Tips:

1. Always buy from an authentic and reliable source
2. Be alert to similar domain names
3. Look for ‘too good to be true’ offers
4. Always look for the padlock
5. Use endpoint security
6. Be wary of password reset emails