Brits warned over online scams, malicious mobile apps

Black Friday weekend presents an opportunity for businesses and shoppers as Brits are projected to spend £6 billion online

Brits are being warned to be extra cautious when taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this year, with the UK set to experience an increase in online scams and a record high stolen by opportunistic cybercriminals.

Black Friday weekend presents a much-needed opportunity for businesses and shoppers alike as the UK is set to spend more than ever this year, with a huge £6 billion projected to be spent online, an average of £296 by each Brit.

Unfortunately, online retailers and shoppers aren’t the only ones preparing ahead of the upcoming bargain weekend, so too are cybercriminals as they follow the money and the market and look to take advantage of millions of unsuspecting and unprepared shoppers.

Research by Barclays reports that a quarter of those aged between 18-34 alone have fallen for a scam in the past five years during this one weekend, with victims ending up on average over £660 down after falling for cybercrime tactics. This number is expected to increase with Brits expected to be more active and spend more this year than ever – with £400 million more spent than 2019 projected.

Cybercriminal tactics have become more sophisticated than ever. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has identified a surge in malicious mobile apps, websites, phishing emails and messages that seek to steal sensitive information, data and money.

Technical and cybersecurity experts Luis Navarro and Pedro Martins of WFH IT Support – part of award-winning IT support company, Totality Services – are on hand to help the nation stay secure whilst shopping online this year as they share the key scams to look out for and tips on how to avoid falling victim to them.

Luis Navarro, co-founder at WFH IT Support, said: Black Friday provides cybercriminals with the perfect shopping storm to exploit online shoppers with tactics including fake sites, wi-fi hacking and email phishing. Cybercriminals and their attacks are increasingly more sophisticated, so online shoppers need to be super-cautious when chasing the latest bargain this year.