You may have noticed retailers now ask for your phone number to send you exclusive discounts and special offers. While it sounds like a great deal, not all of these messages are as trustworthy as they seem.
Karin Zilberstein is vice president of product at Guardio – a cybersecurity platform that protects against online threats.
"We are hearing from people, 'I'm not going to fall into a trap. I'm going to recognize a phishing scam when I see it,' but in in essence, we are seeing really different things in our data," said Zilberstein. "Between September and November, Guardio blocked twice as many fake text messages. We're talking an uplift of 107% in blocked text messages. Most of them are related to shopping. It's the holiday season – everybody wants to get a good deal and hackers are taking advantage of it."
Zilberstein said people are receiving text messages claiming to offer exclusive discounts or promo codes.
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"It might be even a brand that you tried, as a person, to shop in. For example, I would go into a specific website and fill in my cart, [but] wouldn't complete my purchase. And then I receive a text message, which is not real, which offers a coupon call code for a discount," explained Zilberstein. "Those are really, really disturbing, because people fall into these traps. They click the link. They think they're going to get the discount, but in reality, they don't."
That link could lead to a fake website designed to steal your personal information. According to Guardio, attempts to access these fake websites jumped 64%.
To protect yourself this holiday shopping season, be cautious of any texts you receive, especially if the message seems too good to be true. Don't click on any links, and don't share any personal information. Instead, go directly to the retailer's website to verify the offer.
If a retailer asks for your phone number to send exclusive offers directly to your device, consider opting out. Instead, use a disposable email for that extra discount – or ask customer service for a promo code.
