Dangerous spam targets Brits with fake Easter offers

Cybercriminals are hiding dangerous goodies among the Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies that Brits are hoping for this Easter.

A large amount of religious scams have also been included in this year’s Easter scam basket in the UK, with many being invited to discover God’s plan for their life in one moment and tempted with Viagra offers the next. Participating in dubious surveys for Easter goodies or rewards may also relieve victims of their personal details and savings right before the holidays.

“Be careful when shopping online this Easter,” advises Catalin Cosoi, Chief Security Strategist at Bitdefender. “Check your secured “https” connection and make sure the online shop doesn’t redirect you to a dubious payment gateway. We would also recommend that shopping using unsecured Wi-Fi connections is avoided, as hackers may access your credentials and banking information.”

Bitdefender reminds British users to steer clear of holiday scams by following a few security tips and tricks:

• Do not click on shipping notifications from e-mail addresses you are unfamiliar with; they may be phishing scams or contain malware, especially if they come with attachments.
• Avoid donating your “likes” and money on social networks such as Facebook, where scammers promote fake charitable cases.
• Avoid requests for charitable contributions via e-mail, too, as they may be phishing scams. It’s better to donate to an organisation that you trust.
• Do not open electronic greeting cards, as they may contain Trojans or other malware.
• Install an antivirus solution and keep it updated. It will protect you from spam, phishing, malware, 0-day attacks and other e-threats.

For Easter last year cybercriminals “arranged” a 50% off sale for Easter flowers, cash deposits and miracle weight-loss plants to keep people in shape no matter how much they ate during the holidays.