Online Coupons Can Save Big Bucks But Beware Of Scammers
Posted December 6, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
You’re buying something online and as you reach the checkout portion of your transaction, you see it – a little blank that asks you for a computer code number or phrase that will save you $20 on shipping or give you a discount on the item you’re purchasing.
Computer coupons have been around for years and they’re a great way to save money. But now scammers have infiltrated even that once seemingly harmless promotion, prompting a warning to consumers shopping over the web this Christmas.
IBM is advising computer owners about an alarming increase in so-called “phishing” scams, a technique used to siphon sensitive information from you without you even knowing it. The new problem comes in an old form – emailed coupons that appear to be from legitimate companies. But Big Blue wants you to watch out where you click this holiday season, always good advice at any time of year.
The scam involves taking you to a site that looks just like the real thing. But once you get there, those who built it have only one thing in mind: steal your credit card information and anything else they can get their virtual hands on. “That 50-percent-off, one-use coupon could go to a compromised computer in Kazakhstan,” advises IBM’s Internet security guru Christopher Rouland. “The quality of malware is very high.”
His suggestion: if you get one of these “deals” in your inbox, avoid the link and find the company’s real web location instead. If the offer is real, it will be somewhere on their home page or under their “special promotions” area.
And the chances are good you’ll be targeted even if you’re not shopping for anything. IBM’s research department discovered 867,000 scams in the third quarter of the year alone – and that’s believed to be just a small number.
Security firm McAfee is calling this Christmas season an extraordinary one for thieves online. “The scammers are getting more and more sophisticated,” warns the company’s Brian Trombley. “They’re using better English, they’re getting better at copying real sites and making their site look like the real thing.”
Among the biggest targets: PayPal, a kind of virtual bank that specializes in transferring funds over the web.
Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of the special offers if you do decide to lay your money down. Coupons and promotions have become a major part of online shopping and if you’re careful and prepared, they can save you a lot of money.
How can you find out the special combinations needed to access them? A growing number of sites specialize in tipping buyers off about what they are by collecting them in one place. But keep in mind, some of the special promotions only apply to the U.S., so check them out in advance before you enter them.
You can find some examples at the links below.
Canada
International
