“I love you. Click here to see how much I do!” Welcome to the dark underbelly of the month of love where cybercriminals steal money, not hearts.
In 2022, the warnings around Valentine’s Day scams grew to fever pitch with even the FBI warning of the threats.
According to research organisation, Statista, the average spend per person in South Africa on the day is R686. The total spend in the US on jewellery alone is around $6-billion and, in the UK, lovers and potential suitors will spend an estimated £990-million just on flowers.
Considering how, barring Black Friday, this is one of the biggest retail days of the year, it is easy to see why cybercriminals swarm around consumers like flies around a braai.
This means that consumers need to pay really close attention to what they do online so that their Valentine’s Day is not ruined by a scam or a hack, says Anna Collard, senior vice-president: content strategy and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa.
“It is very easy for shoppers to let their guard down while they hunt for sales, deals and special offers,” Collard says. “This is a problem, because cybercriminals have put a great deal of effort into creating fake websites, fake offers, and phishing links that are designed to take advantage of people.”
According to Collard, the biggest Valentine’s Day scams romantics should be aware of are:
Spoofed by fake adverts – Shoppers click on links that look like real offers from real brands.
“Cybercriminals have created adverts that look like normal ads and that lure people in,” explains Collard. “The problem is, these look incredibly realistic so it is very hard to tell at first. It is best to avoid clicking on links and pop-ups altogether and directly navigating to your shop of choice.”
It is equally important to check that the company you are buying a product from is a genuine company with a proven track record. You may end up going through the whole payment process only to discover that the company does not exist, or that your card details were phished when you entered them. Do due diligence on every transaction and website.
Fake emails and dummy accounts – Real shopping websites and retailers are spoofed and the customers end up paying the price.
“You receive a very realistic-looking email from what looks like a genuine retailer, only it is a dummy account using the retailer’s database,” says Collard. “These emails usually offer you fantastic discounts that are easily mistaken for the real deal. When you click on the link, you are taken to a fake website or you end up downloading malware or ransomware.”
Always check the numbers, the URLs and the content before clicking on anything. One way of doing this is to hover your mouse over the links in the email to see if they are genuine.
Romance fraud
“Unfortunately, this type of fraud is on the rise as scammers take advantage of people on Valentine’s Day,” says Collard. “Someone pretends to be in love with the victim and then persuades them to send money, or provide them with personal information that they can then use to hack accounts or perpetrate identity theft. Once they have the information they need, they disappear.”
This type of scam hits most victims particularly hard, adds Collard – they are left feeling foolish and hurt. It is also commonly perpetrated on dating sites where people are vulnerable. To minimise the risk, get to know the person first and try to meet them in person in a safe space. If you have any concerns about their behaviour, listen to your gut instincts and never give them money. A recent trend among cybercriminals in romance scams is to persuade their victims into investing into a crypto scam.
“As Valentine’s Day approaches, watch out for fake e-greeting cards, extraordinary discount emails from retailers, and unexpected attachments – even from people you know,” says Collard. “Check every email address and signature to make sure that the email is not a spoof, and make sure that the Web address that the email is directing you to is legitimate.
“Cybercrime is at an all-time high and the criminals are smart, capable, and sophisticated so stay ahead of their game and do not get caught out this year,” she adds.