The festive seasons of top e-commerce websites such as Flipkart and Amazon have become a reason for duping online shoppers. Yes, you read it right.
These e-commerce websites were the reason, and these crimes didn’t happen on the sites. But the question is, How do you Prevent a Social Media Hacked? and How do Hackers Attack Social Media and E-Commerce Websites?
How hackers target online these website sales to hack through other social media platforms such as WhatsApp and other social media apps. Hackers use the sales to scam online shoppers by sending messages which has malicious links.
How Hackers Target Online Platforms & Social Media Websites
Hackers ran fake contests with names similar to the sales of these websites such as ‘Big Billion Days Spin the Lucky Wheel’ and ‘Amazon Big Billion Day Sale’.
You would be tempted to click the malicious links to win prizes. Many of these links are active and operational. “Spin the Lucky Wheel Scam” emerged during the biggest festive sale.
The scam emerged within days of Flipkart announcing its Big Billion Day Sale. Chinese scammers used this opportunity to create a similar-looking scam called Amazon Big Billion Day Sale.
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Amazon has its festive season sales called the Great Indian Festival. Amazon is the main rival of Walmart-owned Flipkart. Some of the Internet users in India received malicious links to click on and then participate in a contest where individuals could win a high-end smartphone.
You would be duped into believing that you have won the phone as a prize and would be asked to share the link via WhatsApp to their friends and family, the report said.
We have got some information about how hackers target various online social media applications to perform scams.
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How Hackers Target Online: How They Do It
It is said that all domain links are registered in China. Specifically, in the Guangdong and Henan provinces under the name of an organization called Fang Xiao Qing.
The hackers have registered these domains on Alibaba’s cloud computing platform. Hackers hosted these links across Belgium and the United States.
Research says India has millions of online shoppers and as more people come online, we expect more such scams to take place.
As of today, these links are still found to be operational and active. Hackers used fake images and comments to create fake accounts on social media platforms to make the contest sound legitimate, the report said.
CyberPeace Foundation deployed open-source investigative methods to examine the links and found that all the domain links were registered in China. The URL used for the contest redirects to multiple random sites, all of which are fake.
Kumar said the information collected via scams can be used to undertake more such cyber-attacks, especially targeted at internet users in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where awareness about such scams is low.
You would get a message saying how you can earn by just clicking a link in the festive seasons of e-commerce. Once you click on the link given in the message, a malicious code gets injected into your device.
This malicious code works in the background of your device. This code is set up to steal data from your phones, which may end up losing money from your wallets and bank accounts.
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We have got you a process for how the hackers use malicious links to perform crimes. You read through the article and know how hackers target and use the temptation to hack your accounts.
1. Message with a Promise of Prize
You will receive a message. The message would say that you need to just click the link and a superb gift is waiting for you. The message would say you have won a prize.
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2. Social Media Contest
Hackers use fake images and comments to create accounts on social media platforms to make the contests sound legitimate so that you would easily fall for the trap.
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3. WhatsApp Messages Claiming Extra Discounts, Cashback in Amazon/Flipkart Sale
You would also be duped with WhatsApp messages promising extra discounts and cashback on popular brands. These messages are phishing attempts to lure people into sharing their Flipkart/Amazon account details.
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4. Takes Users to Multiple Random Websites
The URL used for the contests redirects users to multiple random sites, all of which are fake.
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5. Ask Users to Forward Links to Their Contacts to Win Prize
Users are asked to forward these malicious links to their contacts.
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6. ’Spin the Wheel’ Scam is Not New on WhatsApp
The ‘Spin the Wheel” scam is one of the most common scams on WhatsApp. You would find similar fake contests promising gift vouchers from Zara, Adidas, and other brands.
In this type of attack, the victims receive an email with a PDF file attachment that looks like an original email alert you would get from Apple, Amazon, or any other tech company. If the users click on the link in the attached file, they are redirected to a fake site.
Where they trick the user into entering sensitive information like bank account number, and debit, and credit card details. Security experts warned online buyers to be vigilant while shopping online, as cybercriminals are taking advantage of the Amazon Prime Day sale to steal sensitive information.
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Users don’t open any attachments or click any links from suspicious emails or messages. The E-Commerce giant urged its customers to follow basic security measures while shopping. We too urge that if the message or the link is unknown, then you should not click the same.
These links can be surely dangerous. Once you click the link, the software runs on your device and can take away all the data from your phone, which is linked to your wallet and other sensitive data.
Hence be a smart user and don’t click any links. Also, while checking the sales of Big E-commerce giants do check about the sale names. Spin the wheel has been the biggest scam run during the e-commerce festivals.
How Hackers Target Online: FAQ
What is Online Hacking
Hackers target online website sales to hack through other social media platforms such as WhatsApp and other social media apps. Hackers use the sales to scam online shoppers by sending messages which has malicious links.
How to Avoid Hackers Online
Users don’t open any attachments or click any links from suspicious emails or messages. The E-Commerce giant urged its customers to follow basic security measures while shopping. We too urge that if the message or the link is unknown, then you should not click the same.
How to Keep Your Data Safe Online
1. Install & update with Latest Firewalls and Antivirus Software
2. Update and change your Passwords from time to time
3. Keep your gadgets & files password-protected
4. Set your web browser “Clear cookies when closing the browser” setting ON
4. Stay educate
5. Go with Managed IT Services
How to Secure Your Data Online
1. Set strong passwords & change time to time
2. Don’t share personal information on social media
3. Stay away with free Wi-Fi
4. Be responsible to check out for links and attachments
5. Only browse secure sites & stay away from unsecured sites
6. Clear your browser cookies from time to time
What is Hacking all About
Hacking is an act of breaching data and systems in an identified weak computer system or a network by breaking the security or layer of security and accessing personal or business data.
What is Online Hacking
The festive seasons of top e-commerce websites such as Flipkart and Amazon have become a reason for duping online shoppers.
Hackers target online these website sales to hack through other social media platforms such as WhatsApp and other social media apps. Hackers use the sales to scam online shoppers by sending messages which has malicious links.
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