Cybersecurity Expert Warns of Rise in Phishing Scams Through Confirmation Emails

As online shopping rises, so do cybersecurity threats associated with it. Security blog Krebsonsecurity.com warned consumers Wednesday of an email scam that has picked up on the Internet since Thanksgiving, asking consumers to confirm an e-commerce order or package shipment. According to blogger Brian Krebs, malware purveyors and spammers are “blasting these missives by the millions each day in a bid to trick people into giving up control over their computers and identities.” The methods the spammers use are “reliably successful,” especially during the holidays when victims are caught off-guard, he said. Shoppers who “know better” than to click links and attachments are often “intensely focused on making sure their online orders arrive before Dec. 25,” he said. Krebs posted sample spam emails purported to be from Costco, Home Depot, Target and Walmart, urging recipients to click on links to track purchases. Krebs urged consumers who get such emails to open a Web browser and check their accounts with the online merchant instead. A spokesman for Target, one of the first high-profile retailers hit by a massive security data breach last year, said Target urges its customers to “be on guard against phishing scams, which are designed to trick customers into providing personal information in response to phony emails.” Target provides a link on its website on how to avoid such scams, he said.