Cyber Monday brings own set of concerns

LYNN – While Black Friday’s shopping rush brought tales of pepper-spraying shoppers and assaults in the parking lot, many invisible criminals may lurk in checkout lines today, say detectives with Boston’s FBI division.On the heels of last Friday’s brick-and-mortar sales comes what is commonly known as Cyber Monday, a day the e-commerce industry has designated as America’s biggest online shopping day of the year.Unfortunately, it’s also a day when scams can be as prevalent as digital deals, cautions Kevin Swindon, the supervisory special agent of FBI Boston’s cyber squad.Swindon said the advent of internet shopping has created an entire new danger for consumers in the form of cyber criminals who try to steal money and personal identifications from internet shoppers’ proverbial purses in increasingly creative and aggressive ways.Today, and every other day, consumers should be wary of bargain e-mails advertising one-day only promotions for recognized brands or websites. Cyber criminals, whom Swindon called “sophisticated,” often imitate major banks or institutions’ correspondence and then ask consumers to fill out private information.”Too-good-to-be-true” e-mails should be a red flag that something is not quite right.”Fraudsters often use the hot items of the season to lure bargain hunters into providing credit card information,” he said.The e-mails often lead to bogus websites that ensnare consumers’ personal information once they enter it. One click can lead to mayhem in the form of a virus or a hacker stealing someone’s information.Fortunately, street smarts and common sense translate to staying safe on the web. The FBI advises consumers to use strong passwords, never enter their Social Security numbers to make purchases and watch for specific signs that indicate a website is authentic and safe.QUICK FACTSSome tips to avoid getting tangled up in a cyber scam:? Directly type the website address you want to visit instead of clicking on a link that allegedly leads to the site.? Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software to prevent viruses and malicious programs from infecting your computer.? When entering credit card information, look for websites that use the “Secure Socket Layer” security, which the FBI recognizes as a verifiable protection. Consumers can check the web broswer’s status bar for an unbroken padlock icon that indicates the site is using the security layer.Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].