--- title: Scam-proof your Black Friday/Cyber Monday description: Here are tips to protect yourself from phishing and scams during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. image: https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/scammer.jpg --- [![MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png?width=464&name=MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png "MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2")](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Insurance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) Filter by Category** - 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[dormant account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/dormant-account) - [inactive account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/inactive-account) # Scam-proof your Black Friday/Cyber Monday ** [Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/author/hanscom-federal-credit-union) ** Nov 23, 2018 ![scammer](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/scammer.jpg) There's no better time to score a great deal than during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, but it's also prime time for the scam artists who've become increasingly adept at scoring personal data and credit card information via a variety of sophisticated techniques. And if you think you can't be outwitted by these nasty characters, think again. "Anyone can become a victim of an online scam, especially during the holiday season when they're rushed and not paying attention to red flags," said Denise Bouchard, Hanscom Federal Credit Union's information security officer. "It's important to slow down, to take a moment and think, 'Is what I'm reading here making sense or does something about this not seem right?'" So what kind of red flags should you watch out for this weekend? - **A deal that sounds too good to be true.** Buy one iPad, get another for free? Bouchard points out that Apple products typically don't get discounted this way, so don't be fooled when you open an email offer like this...you're most likely going to lose your money on this "deal." - **Things aren't quite adding up**. You're at work and you get an email from Amazon.com telling you your recent order has some issues...except you didn't order from Amazon.com from your work address. "Some people will just go ahead and click anyway when they see Amazon.com, which is exactly what phishers and scam artists count on you doing," said Bouchard. "These people end up exposing themselves and their personal information to someone that's not from Amazon.com, all because they weren't paying attention or not listening to the voice in their head that told them something was off." - **Shopping from a smart phone. **According to marketing research from Criteo, [over 40% of all sales in November and December 2017 were made from mobile phones](https://www.criteo.com/insights/holiday-trends-2018/) and that percentage is expected to be even higher this year. Unfortunately, due to the shorter address field on smartphones, consumers can't always see a full URL on their phones, making it harder to spot scam URLs. Bouchard's solution is to try to do your shopping from a desktop or laptop computer and to make sure the website where you do your shopping is secure. You'll be able to tell by looking at the URL; it'll start with HTTPS instead of just HTTP. You'll also see an icon of a locked padlock, typically to the left of the URL, although that can vary between browsers. If you must shop from a smartphone, shop through the retailers' own apps and if you shop through a browser, type in the address yourself instead of clicking on a link provided to you. - **Apps that promote holiday deals.** Scammers have been busy developing "apps" that purport to save you money on your holiday gift buying, but really all they've been doing is creating tools to steal your credit card details or deliver malware to your smartphone. According to a recent report from RiskIQ, a cybersecurity company,[ 5.5% of just over 4,300 Black Friday-related apps are malicious and unsafe, and 4.6% of Cyber Monday apps are also malicious](https://www.riskiq.com/blog/external-threat-management/2018-black-friday-e-commerce-blacklist/). Even Apple's App Store and Google Play have hosted bad apps, so tread cautiously before downloading anything that looks remotely questionable. Avoid third-party app stores, verify that the app developer's name is correct and reputable, and read user reviews. Over the next few weeks, keep checking your credit card and financial statements for any suspicious activity and if you notice anything, contact your financial institutions immediately. At Hanscom FCU, you can even activate alerts on your credit cards and checking account by logging into Online Access HD, going to your settings, and selecting Alerts. Here are some links to more information that'll help you shop safely on Black Friday/Cyber Monday:   - [Shopping Safely Online](https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST07-001) from the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center - [Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft](https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST05-019) from the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center - [How to Protect Your Computer From Malware](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/protect-your-computer-from-malware) - [Four Ways We Keep Your Online Access Secure](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/5-ways-secure-online-access) - [Avoid Identity Theft: Secure Your Belongings in Public](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/avoid-identity-theft)     ** [** What is Better Than a Lease? Check Out Our Car Leasing Alternative. ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/153946/what-is-better-than-a-lease-check-out-our-car-leasing-alternative) [** 5 Holiday Energy Savings Tips ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/5-energy-saving-tips-for-the-holidays) ### About Author ![Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/HFCU-Profile-1000x1000.jpg) Hanscom Federal Credit Union Hanscom Federal Credit Union, a purpose-driven $1.9 billion organization based in Littleton, MA, empowers its members to achieve financial wellness. Hanscom FCU serves over 95,000 members across the country and overseas through 16 branches, over 100,000 surcharge-free ATMs, 5,000 contact centers, and a web-based branch. ** - [**](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/scam-proof-your-black-friday/cyber-monday/) - [**](https://X.com/share?url=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/scam-proof-your-black-friday/cyber-monday/) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/scam-proof-your-black-friday/cyber-monday/&summary=&source=CeBIT) ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ### Comment ### Subscribe To Blog ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### contact **Hanscom Federal Credit Union** 1610 Eglin St. Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 Call us: [800-656-4328](tel:8006564328) [https://www.hfcu.org/](https://www.hfcu.org/) ### About Us [The MoneyWisdom Blog](https://www.hfcu.org/the-moneywisdom-blog.html) ### Social ** ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.facebook.com/HanscomFederalCreditUnion The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://X.com/HanscomFCU The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.instagram.com/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### http://www.youtube.com/c/HanscomFederalCreditUnion The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ### Popular Posts [What You Need to Know About Putting Your Home in a Trust](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-putting-your-home-in-a-trust) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20-%202022-02-10T072804.753.jpg) [What You Need to Know About Your Federal Tax Bracket](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-tax-bracket) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20-%202021-03-22T123305.900.jpg) [6 Boat Types to Get on the Water](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/6-boat-types-to-get-on-the-water) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/Jet_Ski.jpg) [23 Organizations Dedicated to the Needs of Seniors](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/23-organizations-dedicated-to-the-needs-of-seniors) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Senior%20citizens.jpg) [9 Smart Moves for Lottery Winners](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/lottery) ![older man looking at top retirement worry on digital device](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/lottery_winner.jpg) ### Recent Posts - [![National Credit Union Administration](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NCUA-logo-small.png?width=95&name=NCUA-logo-small.png) ](https://www.ncua.gov/) [![Equal Housing Lender](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/EHL-logo-small.png?width=65&name=EHL-logo-small.png)](https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing) - @ 2023 [Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://www.hfcu.org/) - Federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.hfcu.org/content/docs/Privacy_Notice.pdf) **Disclosure:** Hanscom Federal Credit Union does not provide and is not responsible for any products, services, or overall website content available at any third-party sites linked within this blog. Moreover, Hanscom Federal Credit Union's privacy policies do not apply to any of the linked websites within this blog. Please consult the privacy disclosures on those linked sites for further information. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" }, "dateModified" : "May 16, 2022, 7:55:30 PM", "datePublished" : "2018-11-23 05:01:00", "description" : "Here are tips to protect yourself from phishing and scams during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.", "headline" : "Scam-proof your Black Friday/Cyber Monday", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/118438/scammer.jpg" }, "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://go.hfcu.org/blog/scam-proof-your-black-friday/cyber-monday", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/118438/Logo%202.jpg" }, "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" } } ```