Online shopping is something that most of us seem to do these days. In the UK, sales from online purchases are expected to reach £106 billion by the end of the year. Online retailers have made shopping easy. Some of us, probably more than will admit, are also prone to the odd drunken purchase which we forget until we see the “thank you for shopping with us” email the next morning.
It is this type of behaviour that our old nemesis, the cybercriminal, relies on for this week’s scam.
Online Purchase Phishing Email
The email we received this week is an oldie and goldie. This type of simple phishing email has been doing the rounds since phishing emails were invented. The email is simple in format, but deadly in action, as we will see.
This phishing email looks like an email you may get from a smaller online retailer. No branding of the big tech giants like Amazon has been attempted. But in many ways, this makes it all the more sinister. You may question yourself; did I make a purchase and just can’t remember, did someone in my family use my email address, and so on. This ‘fear, uncertainty and doubt’ or FUD is natural and normal and used against us by fraudsters.
The email is also triggered. That is, you don’t have to click a link anymore, the entire email content is linked to a spoof site. This captures accidental clicks (like the one I made).
What Happens if You Click in the Phishing Email?
Clicking anywhere in this email will take you to a malware infected website. If your browser or other software is not up to date, you could end up with a malware infection.
How to Protect Yourself from Phishing
There are a few ways to protect yourself from these sorts of phishing attempts:
- Be aware, very aware. Make sure you and your colleagues are all aware of these types of scams.
- Keep your laptops and other devices up to date with security patches and other updates.
- If you do click the link and are unsure what to do, inform your IT department or manager immediately. Isolation of an infected machine can prevent the spread of malware.
Why not help your colleagues stay safe and send them this little reminder. Feel free to edit, copy/paste the advice below:
Online Purchase Phishing Email
Emails that look like you have made an online purchase are doing the rounds. Take great caution with any emails of this nature. They are likely to be linked to phishing sites that can infect your machine with malware.
DO NOT CLICK ANY LINKS IN THE EMAIL. BE EXTRA CAREFUL AS THE ENTIRE CONTENT OF THE EMAIL IS CLICKABLE
For more information on what to do if you receive a phishing email check out “What to Do if You Click on a Phishing Link?”
© 2023 . The Defence Works. All rights reserved.