Kaspersky researchers are reporting on phishing pages purporting to be gift offers for International Women’s Day .
The fraudsters exploit users who wish to buy presents for women on International Women’s Day. In 2021 some of them are even offering such gifts for free.
Fraudsters create phishing webpages to scam users by either pretending to be a legitimate service or simply offering non-existent goods. Such landings might often be disguised as lotteries, offering users a reward with only a few conditions.
One of them usually includes distributing a link through social media channels (making it appear even more trustworthy to future victims) and entering their credentials ranging from logins and passwords to, most often, bank card details.
This is followed by transactions taken to either ‘test if you are a real person’ and as a seemingly small incentive meant as a payment for the prize transportation/delivery.
In 2020, South Africa saw 2.7 million phishing attacks on users. While these attacks rely on social engineering, their success does not depend on technical advances. Therefore, they are usually among the most prevalent threat users can encounter.
“A typical phishing scam relies on two main factors: the appealing offer and the urgency of the service proposed,” says Mikhail Sytnik, a security expert at Kaspersky. “This is why holidays and commemorative days are often a fruitful time for them, especially on the actual days of the celebration, when many people are frantically looking for a gift they forgot to buy in advance. Seeing an enticing proposal that offers exactly what you need ASAP can cloud judgements. We urge everyone to be careful with the gifts and make sure nothing casts a damper over your celebrations!”