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<p data-beyondwords-marker="a29cefb0-0bf6-4b9b-9f0e-a56a40dad312">In a recent report by <a href="https://www.netcraft.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.netcraft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Netcraft</a>, a leading global fraud protection solutions company, findings show a startling 135% increase in fake online stores flooding the internet as of late October 2023. As Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, cybercriminals are capitalising on the season of discounts and exploiting unsuspecting shoppers on genuine platforms.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="a5b3bf04-971d-407b-be7a-be5a79f16a65">Netcraft’s report highlights that these deceptive online shops, while masquerading as providers of heavily discounted goods, often impersonate reputable brands and established retailers or operate under various brand names. The primary aim appears to be capturing payment details and sensitive information, which can either be directly utilized or sold to other malicious actors.</p>
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 <figure class="aligncenter size-large" data-beyondwords-marker="a75e78eb-243a-4c10-8b1d-d4a5a0109900"><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-1024x576.jpg" alt="Black Friday: Report reveals 135% surge in fake online stores" class="wp-image-98760" srcset="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-300x169.jpg 300w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-768x432.jpg 768w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-640x360.jpg 640w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-380x214.jpg 380w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-550x309.jpg 550w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-800x450.jpg 800w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-1160x653.jpg 1160w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-760x428.jpg 760w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-1100x619.jpg 1100w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-600x338.jpg 600w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday-360x202.jpg 360w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Black-Friday.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">
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<p data-beyondwords-marker="0ab620f4-b155-4bc7-afc0-057456c8d2b0">With the proliferation of these fraudulent websites, consumers are urged to exercise caution during the holiday shopping season. As the term “Black Friday” transcends its U.S. origins and gains global significance, even stores in Nigeria partake in the tradition, amplifying the need for heightened vigilance against online scams.</p>
<h5 id="black-friday-and-the-rise-of-fake-online-stores" data-beyondwords-marker="5f16d305-157c-4ccf-9f97-80863f204d84">Black Friday and the rise of fake online stores</h5>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="f4302b50-5118-4b83-aae7-6b489d0d1f32">In analyzing the findings from Netcraft, the company stated,</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="83f54656-ca13-4d17-b090-58a2e38c1ca0">“As of the end of October 2023, Netcraft’s research has identified a staggering 135% increase in fake retail sites blocked compared to October last year, on top of an increase of 63% over October the previous year, conveying that the annual increase more than doubled in the last 12 months over already alarming growth.”&nbsp;</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="c97cba2c-9804-4437-8fe3-3cce730f7f8c">The company added, “These fake retail sites include copies of the spoofed site’s authentic logos, trademarks, and products to make the scam more convincing, but that’s not the only technique cybercriminals use. They also host fake retail sites on deceptive domains. This typically involves registering a domain name that is deceptively similar to another (usually well-known) organization. Once again, the aim is to trick users into believing they are interacting with a trustworthy website.” <br></p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="c7de500d-be4f-4a9c-bd8e-b60c7f97c150"><strong>Read More: <a href="https://technext24.com/2023/11/16/jumia-records-lowest-ebitda-loss-of-15m/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://technext24.com/2023/11/16/jumia-records-lowest-ebitda-loss-of-15m/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Jumia records EBITDA loss of $15 million in Q3, the lowest since its IPO in 2019<br></a></strong></p>
<h4 id="navigating-the-digital-marketplace-report-reveals-how-to-spot-fake-online-stores" data-beyondwords-marker="6c66f3c7-11e1-4f2b-a64e-db3008206876"><strong>Navigating the digital marketplace: report reveals how to spot fake online stores</strong></h4>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="c41e647e-5797-4059-be14-53df80d0cb1f">As consumers explore online shopping, Netcraft’s report provides essential insights to help them avoid falling victim to fraudulent online stores. Shoppers are advised to scrutinize various aspects to identify potential threats.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="c69722f0-9a3f-4710-9b99-745f89bea568">Consider the pricing strategy—fake shops often flaunt steep discounts ranging from 50% to 95%, accompanied by a fictitious, possibly inflated, original price. This is especially suspicious for brands that rarely offer genuine discounts.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="45731d42-8994-4dd0-a9b6-c0264b8e297c">Examine the availability of contact details such as a geographic location or phone number on the store’s website. The absence of such information is a red flag, indicating potential malicious intent. Generic and templated content in the ‘about us’ section further underscores the risk.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="0923823e-e500-4a4c-8c3c-b533eed0a08d">Evaluate the site’s promotion methods—fake shops may showcase social media icons without functional links or redirect users to fraudulent profiles, signalling an attempt to deceive through false promotion.</p>
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 <figure class="aligncenter size-full" data-beyondwords-marker="d67901ac-84f8-4b71-b32c-168c54805489"><img width="800" height="400" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-22T133602.454.png" alt="" class="wp-image-221322">
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<p data-beyondwords-marker="f239cd08-50d2-470c-aecb-31f7ae30e321">Assess the professionalism of the page design—fake retail sites often deviate from accurately duplicating a brand, opting to insert a well-known logo into a pre-designed template chosen by cybercriminals. ‘Brand mismatching,’ where logos unrelated to the products are used, is another indicator.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="75abec12-75e7-44bf-a127-533c49645ad9"><a href="https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_08.phtml" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_08.phtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Scrutinize the domain name for any questionable attributes</a>—fake retail sites frequently use deceptive domain names resembling well-known brands, employing common misspellings, adding geo-based attributes, or attempting deception with phrases like ‘sale’ or ‘discount’ appended to legitimate brand names.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="a7ed8584-988b-404f-b9d7-16af86c7cbf4">In the backdrop of online shopping reaching a staggering $5.7 trillion in 2022, consumers are urged to exercise vigilance. During the same period, cybercriminals and threat actors orchestrated nearly $41 billion in fraudulent activities, emphasizing the critical need for heightened awareness in the digital marketplace.</p>
<p data-beyondwords-marker="d0c0553e-7589-4013-bdaa-765f4894f819"><strong>Read More: <a href="https://technext24.com/2023/11/10/tecno-black-friday-millionaire-win-big/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://technext24.com/2023/11/10/tecno-black-friday-millionaire-win-big/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Tecno Black Friday: Shop like a millionaire and win big every Friday! </a></strong></p>

Black Friday: Report reveals 135% surge in fake online stores

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