During the end-of-year season, the increase in shopping, travel, and banking transactions creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of digital scams. Cybersecurity experts warn of a rise in tactics of emotional manipulation and identity theft to steal financial data. Fabio Assolini, head of Kaspersky's Global Research and Analysis team for Latin America, explained that the festive enthusiasm creates an ideal environment for exploiting vulnerabilities through phishing and social engineering. To protect personal finances, experts recommend being wary of offers that seem too good to be true and always verifying website URLs before entering data. Additional measures include using virtual cards for online transactions, avoiding saving banking details in browsers, and constantly monitoring account activity. Kaspersky has identified the five most common methods used by cybercriminals to compromise user security. Kaspersky's analysis breaks down the deception schemes that show the highest activity during this period: 1. Credit card upgrade: A free switch to cards with exclusive benefits is promised. 2. Fake payment received: Users receive messages about supposed transfers or available payments. The link aims to capture login credentials so that criminals can issue tickets or use accumulated benefits. 3. Identity document blocked: Using the names of government entities, the victim is alerted about a supposed block on their document. 4. Miles or expired points: With the increase in travel, alerts arrive about the supposed expiration of points from loyalty programs. 5. Fake package delivery: Capitalizing on the fact that many people are expecting deliveries, criminals send emails or SMS requesting a minimal 'delivery fee'. Although the amount is low, the goal is to obtain account data that is rarely recoverable. Finally, they suggest having up-to-date cybersecurity solutions to comprehensively protect one's digital identity.
