Cyber Monday emerged in 2005 as a continuation of the long weekend shopping starting on Black Friday.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the US, was initially intended for sales and shopping in physical stores, and Cyber Monday for shopping online stores and e-commerce platforms.
According to a new report by Adobe Analytics, Cyber Monday in the US is expected to remain the year’s biggest shopping day, driving an impressive $11,2-billion in spending in the US, increasing 5,1% over last year, versus just 1% growth for Black Friday sales.
Nowadays, both dates are practically the same and have no differentiation – not only in terms of purchases and figures, but also in the cyberattacks they receive, and which are related to these shopping days.
Absa’s Card Data Analysis Black Friday 2021 report shows that even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in South Africa last year showed an increase of between 15% and 30% when compared to 2020, this was attributed to more people buying instead of individuals spending more.
However, with last year’s supply chain issues resolved, it is expected that Cyber Monday sales and participation will increase exponentially as shoppers flock online to look for deals; online retail stores have already started advertising for Cyber Monday deals, weeks ahead of the actual day (today, 28 November).
“More online shopping activities over this period means that there are more opportunities for cybercrimes to take place,” says Charnie-Lee Adams-Kruger, country manager: southern Africa at Check Point.
“We can expect an array of shopping-related scams where consumers will not get what they paid for, as well as identity theft, and bank fraud. It is important to recognise the warning signs and take immediate action if local shoppers are to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Check Point Software offers these tips to help consumers stay safe this Cyber Monday:
- Always buy from an authentic and reliable source: the ideal is to look for the link in the search engine that we use for the store from which we want to purchase the product. Clicking on a link sent to potential shoppers by email without knowing its origin could potentially be dangerous.
- Be alert to similar domains: it is very important to pay attention to the links and domains of the Web pages we enter. Misspellings or misspelled names are a sign of which pages are the originals and which have been created to try to attack users who enter.
- Offers that seem too good to be true will, in fact, always be too good to actually be true: check several sites to see if the offer is real or not. An unusual discount on a highly demanded product could be a clear indicator that it is a scam.
- Always look for the padlock: Web sites that have the HTTPS instead of HHTP are the secure and authentic sites. In addition, they will have a padlock in front of them to distinguish them from the others. We should only enter these since they are the ones that comply with international security standards.
- Have security solutions for endpoints: you should also have such security solutions for your e-mail. With this measure many cyberattacks and information leaks can be prevented.
- Always be on the lookout for password reset emails: especially when the volume of online traffic is at its peak, such as on Cyber Monday. If you receive an uninvited password reset email, always visit the Web site directly (do not click on the links) and change your password.
“Cyber Monday is a great opportunity for many people to get services and products they need at a great discount, although they should also be on the alert to cyber scams, phishing and specially discounted offers,” says Adams-Kruger. “In this type of online offer these days, many cybercriminals try to impersonate companies involved in such specials, such as delivery companies or stores. You need to continue to practise vigilance so as not to fall for the scams online, even as you enjoy shopping.”