Warning issued to Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail users as millions to be hit by 'online threats'

With the Internet's advancement, many people shop online for their Christmas shopping. This is both a good thing and a bad thing, It is good because it is convenient and you don’t have to battle others in physical stores, but it can also be a bad thing due to the risk of scam emails.

As a result, all Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail users have been issued a two-week warning as millions of scams are expected to flood people’s inboxes, as per Metro. Here’s everything you need to know about potential Christmas scams and how to avoid being caught in one.

Millions of scams are expected this Christmas period

According to Metro, Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail users can expect a surplus of scams in their inboxes around Christmas. Vonny Gamot, Head of EMEA at McAfee, explained that at this time of year, scammers tend to create fake websites with various links that lead to ‘malware’.

Vonny Gamot said:

Cybercriminals use phishing emails or fake sites to lure people into clicking links that could lead to malware.

Gamot added that on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, people can expect an ‘additional 10 million online threats’.

With an additional 10 million online threats expected on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, it’s never been more important to cast a sceptical eye over any festive deals or unexpected order and delivery updates.

How to avoid getting caught in a scam

Now that you are aware that more scams are floating around this time of year, it’s best to know how to spot one or simply avoid being caught in one. Vonny Gamot suggests that if you receive an email - even if it looks legitimate - you should visit the online retailer’s site or the delivery provider directly.

Moreover, fake deals may be the most common type of scam around Christmas and New Year, but according to Metro, most people get caught out by fake delivery messages.

Vonny Gamot explained:

Many scams are effective because the scammer creates a false sense of urgency or preys on a heightened emotional state.

Gamot urged people to take a minute before interacting with any sort of message that is ‘threatening or urgent’:

Pause before you rush to interact with any message that is threatening or urgent, especially if it is from an unknown or unlikely sender.

Read more:

⋙ WhatsApp warning issued as millions could see their messages deleted

⋙ Google issues warning to Chrome users as ‘high-level threats’ were discovered, here’s all you need to know

⋙ Fraudsters scam WhatsApp users out of money with this sneaky method

Sources used:

Metro: ‘Urgent warning to anyone with a Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo account’